Cereal production in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Cereal production was 1.19 million metric tons in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.19 million metric tons
Change on year
up 11.6%
World rank
100th
of 181 countries
All-time high
5.04 million metric tons
in 1993
All-time low
109,952 metric tons
in 1972
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cereal production in Saudi Arabia, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in metric tons.
Analysis
In 2023, cereal production in Saudi Arabia stood at 1.19 million metric tons.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.6% on the previous year and up 35.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production in Saudi Arabia peaked at 5.04 million metric tons in 1993 and was at its lowest, 109,952 metric tons, in 1972.
That places Saudi Arabia 100th out of 181 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cereal production in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 360,800 metric tons | — |
| 1962 | 360,320 metric tons | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 393,748 metric tons | +9.3% |
| 1964 | 397,300 metric tons | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 419,300 metric tons | +5.5% |
| 1966 | 424,450 metric tons | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 424,174 metric tons | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 431,700 metric tons | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 430,000 metric tons | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 433,000 metric tons | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 314,678 metric tons | -27.3% |
| 1972 | 109,952 metric tons | -65.1% |
| 1973 | 113,102 metric tons | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 300,236 metric tons | +165.5% |
| 1975 | 289,186 metric tons | -3.7% |
| 1976 | 282,106 metric tons | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 294,271 metric tons | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 301,519 metric tons | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 349,887 metric tons | +16.0% |
| 1980 | 266,238 metric tons | -23.9% |
| 1981 | 294,042 metric tons | +10.4% |
| 1982 | 488,520 metric tons | +66.1% |
| 1983 | 874,586 metric tons | +79.0% |
| 1984 | 1.44 million metric tons | +65.1% |
| 1985 | 2.19 million metric tons | +51.5% |
| 1986 | 2.46 million metric tons | +12.5% |
| 1987 | 2.93 million metric tons | +19.0% |
| 1988 | 3.69 million metric tons | +26.0% |
| 1989 | 3.93 million metric tons | +6.5% |
| 1990 | 4.14 million metric tons | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 4.57 million metric tons | +10.6% |
| 1992 | 4.70 million metric tons | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 5.04 million metric tons | +7.2% |
| 1994 | 4.86 million metric tons | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.67 million metric tons | -45.1% |
| 1996 | 1.93 million metric tons | -27.6% |
| 1997 | 2.34 million metric tons | +21.1% |
| 1998 | 2.20 million metric tons | -5.9% |
| 1999 | 2.45 million metric tons | +11.5% |
| 2000 | 2.17 million metric tons | -11.7% |
| 2001 | 2.59 million metric tons | +19.6% |
| 2002 | 2.85 million metric tons | +10.1% |
| 2003 | 2.95 million metric tons | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 3.19 million metric tons | +8.2% |
| 2005 | 3.01 million metric tons | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 3.04 million metric tons | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 2.96 million metric tons | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 2.43 million metric tons | -17.8% |
| 2009 | 1.59 million metric tons | -34.8% |
| 2010 | 1.57 million metric tons | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 1.41 million metric tons | -9.7% |
| 2012 | 1.08 million metric tons | -23.3% |
| 2013 | 881,553 metric tons | -18.7% |
| 2014 | 1.57 million metric tons | +78.0% |
| 2015 | 1.62 million metric tons | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 1.51 million metric tons | -6.8% |
| 2017 | 1.49 million metric tons | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 1.38 million metric tons | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 1.29 million metric tons | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 1.25 million metric tons | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 877,638 metric tons | -29.8% |
| 2022 | 1.07 million metric tons | +21.8% |
| 2023 | 1.19 million metric tons | +11.6% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 1.19 million metric tons is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.90 million metric tons, 63% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 1.19 million metric tons is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 333,672 metric tons, 3.6× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cereal production in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +165.5% | 113,102 metric tons | 300,236 metric tons |
| 1983 | +79.0% | 488,520 metric tons | 874,586 metric tons |
| 2014 | +78.0% | 881,553 metric tons | 1.57 million metric tons |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 404,644 metric tons | 360,320 metric tons | 431,700 metric tons | 9 |
| 1970s | 278,794 metric tons | 109,952 metric tons | 433,000 metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.86 million metric tons | 266,238 metric tons | 3.93 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.49 million metric tons | 1.93 million metric tons | 5.04 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.68 million metric tons | 1.59 million metric tons | 3.19 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.38 million metric tons | 881,553 metric tons | 1.62 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.10 million metric tons | 877,638 metric tons | 1.25 million metric tons | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More agriculture & rural data for Saudi Arabia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0259 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 894.48 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 3.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1539 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereal production in Saudi Arabia?
- Cereal production in Saudi Arabia was 1.19 million metric tons in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest cereal production recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.04 million metric tons in 1993.
- What is the lowest cereal production recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 109,952 metric tons in 1972.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for cereal production?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 100th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cereal production rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Cereal production (metric tons). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
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.