Cereal cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa: Cereal cropland was 4.3% in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
4.3%
Change on year
up 5.7%
Rank
1st
of 6 groups
All-time high
4.3%
in 2011
All-time low
1.8%
in 1961
Years of data
51
1961–2011

Cereal cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, 1961–2011

01234196119862011

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files. Measured in % of land area.

Analysis

In 2011, cereal cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa stood at 4.3%. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.

That represents a change of up 5.7% on the previous year and up 30.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, cereal cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa peaked at 4.3% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1961.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

Cereal cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Cereal cropland (% of land area) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, 1961 to 2011.
Year % of land area Change
1961 1.8%
1962 1.9% +2.4%
1963 1.9% +1.4%
1964 1.9% +0.8%
1965 2.0% +3.8%
1966 1.9% -3.2%
1967 2.1% +6.0%
1968 2.0% -2.6%
1969 2.3% +12.7%
1970 2.2% -4.0%
1971 2.2% -0.4%
1972 2.0% -6.6%
1973 2.1% +6.6%
1974 2.1% -0.9%
1975 2.0% -5.0%
1976 2.2% +6.5%
1977 2.1% -4.2%
1978 2.0% -1.8%
1979 1.9% -4.0%
1980 2.1% +5.8%
1981 2.0% -2.9%
1982 2.0% -1.0%
1983 2.1% +3.7%
1984 2.1% +4.2%
1985 2.4% +12.2%
1986 2.6% +7.7%
1987 2.5% -3.0%
1988 2.8% +10.9%
1989 2.8% -0.2%
1990 2.7% -2.1%
1991 2.9% +7.7%
1992 3.0% +3.4%
1993 3.1% +0.8%
1994 3.3% +8.6%
1995 3.2% -2.3%
1996 3.3% +2.2%
1997 3.4% +2.0%
1998 3.4% +0.1%
1999 3.3% -3.2%
2000 3.2% -1.7%
2001 3.3% +3.3%
2002 3.4% +1.0%
2003 3.7% +10.5%
2004 3.5% -5.0%
2005 4.0% +13.0%
2006 3.9% -2.2%
2007 3.9% -0.7%
2008 4.1% +6.1%
2009 3.9% -4.3%
2010 4.1% +4.5%
2011 4.3% +5.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 2.0% 1.8% 2.3% 9
1970s 2.1% 1.9% 2.2% 10
1980s 2.3% 2.0% 2.8% 10
1990s 3.2% 2.7% 3.4% 10
2000s 3.7% 3.2% 4.1% 10
2010s 4.2% 4.1% 4.3% 2

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

  1. 1 Gambia 20.8% compare
  2. 2 Malawi 19.9% compare
  3. 3 Nigeria 18.2% compare
  4. 4 Rwanda 17.8% compare

See the full ranking of 57 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is cereal cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
Cereal cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa was 4.3% in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files.
What is the highest cereal cropland recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 2011.
What is the lowest cereal cropland recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1961.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa rank for cereal cropland?
Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa ranks 1st out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
Is cereal cropland rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files, published as part of Cereal cropland (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Cereal cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/cereal-cropland-percent-of-land-area/sub-saharan-africa-excluding-south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Cereal cropland (% of land area)
Unit
% of land area
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
57 places, 2,854 data points, 1961–2011
Last refreshed

Land under cereal production refers to harvested area, although some countries report only sown or cultivated area. Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains. Production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.