Cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Cereal production was 124.08 million metric tons in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
124.08 million metric tons
Change on year
down 33.6%
Rank
25th
of 45 groups
All-time high
187.37 million metric tons
in 2022
All-time low
38.14 million metric tons
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1961–2024
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in metric tons.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 124.08 million metric tons for cereal production in 2024.
The figure is down 33.6% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 187.37 million metric tons in 2022 and was at its lowest, 38.14 million metric tons, in 1961.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 25th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 38.14 million metric tons | — |
| 1962 | 39.82 million metric tons | +4.4% |
| 1963 | 40.61 million metric tons | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 39.11 million metric tons | -3.7% |
| 1965 | 39.31 million metric tons | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 38.21 million metric tons | -2.8% |
| 1967 | 48.60 million metric tons | +27.2% |
| 1968 | 41.10 million metric tons | -15.4% |
| 1969 | 45.95 million metric tons | +11.8% |
| 1970 | 45.89 million metric tons | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 50.11 million metric tons | +9.2% |
| 1972 | 48.22 million metric tons | -3.8% |
| 1973 | 43.58 million metric tons | -9.6% |
| 1974 | 56.13 million metric tons | +28.8% |
| 1975 | 52.82 million metric tons | -5.9% |
| 1976 | 53.02 million metric tons | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 54.10 million metric tons | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 53.83 million metric tons | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 50.91 million metric tons | -5.4% |
| 1980 | 56.15 million metric tons | +10.3% |
| 1981 | 63.87 million metric tons | +13.7% |
| 1982 | 55.33 million metric tons | -13.4% |
| 1983 | 50.81 million metric tons | -8.2% |
| 1984 | 51.00 million metric tons | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 64.17 million metric tons | +25.8% |
| 1986 | 68.52 million metric tons | +6.8% |
| 1987 | 65.80 million metric tons | -4.0% |
| 1988 | 76.37 million metric tons | +16.1% |
| 1989 | 77.88 million metric tons | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 70.34 million metric tons | -9.7% |
| 1991 | 75.66 million metric tons | +7.6% |
| 1992 | 66.36 million metric tons | -12.3% |
| 1993 | 79.06 million metric tons | +19.1% |
| 1994 | 83.16 million metric tons | +5.2% |
| 1995 | 77.36 million metric tons | -7.0% |
| 1996 | 89.73 million metric tons | +16.0% |
| 1997 | 85.08 million metric tons | -5.2% |
| 1998 | 85.79 million metric tons | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 86.36 million metric tons | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 86.72 million metric tons | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 88.94 million metric tons | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 91.03 million metric tons | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 97.28 million metric tons | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 97.78 million metric tons | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 109.21 million metric tons | +11.7% |
| 2006 | 112.03 million metric tons | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 111.11 million metric tons | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 124.16 million metric tons | +11.7% |
| 2009 | 119.45 million metric tons | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 135.77 million metric tons | +13.7% |
| 2011 | 126.98 million metric tons | -6.5% |
| 2012 | 137.02 million metric tons | +7.9% |
| 2013 | 138.91 million metric tons | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 155.57 million metric tons | +12.0% |
| 2015 | 147.73 million metric tons | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 154.56 million metric tons | +4.6% |
| 2017 | 166.28 million metric tons | +7.6% |
| 2018 | 173.47 million metric tons | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 169.58 million metric tons | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 182.37 million metric tons | +7.5% |
| 2021 | 182.06 million metric tons | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 187.37 million metric tons | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 186.90 million metric tons | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 124.08 million metric tons | -33.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 41.21 million metric tons | 38.14 million metric tons | 48.60 million metric tons | 9 |
| 1970s | 50.86 million metric tons | 43.58 million metric tons | 56.13 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 62.99 million metric tons | 50.81 million metric tons | 77.88 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 79.89 million metric tons | 66.36 million metric tons | 89.73 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 103.77 million metric tons | 86.72 million metric tons | 124.16 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 150.59 million metric tons | 126.98 million metric tons | 173.47 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2020s | 172.56 million metric tons | 124.08 million metric tons | 187.37 million metric tons | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 22 Nigeria 28.47 million metric tons compare
- 23 Philippines 28.47 million metric tons compare
- 24 Kazakhstan 24.57 million metric tons compare
- 25 Egypt 23.39 million metric tons compare
- 26 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 22.05 million metric tons compare
- 27 Iran, Islamic Republic of 20.96 million metric tons compare
- 28 Spain 20.86 million metric tons compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.90 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population 731.36 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.58 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.71 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 124.08 million metric tons in 2024, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 187.37 million metric tons in 2022.
- What is the lowest cereal production recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.14 million metric tons in 1961.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for cereal production?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 25th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is cereal production rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.
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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.