Cereal production in Malawi
Malawi: Cereal production was 3.28 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cereal production in Malawi, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cereal production in Malawi is 3.28 million tonnes, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.9% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production in Malawi peaked at 4.90 million tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 688,786 tonnes, in 1992.
Malawi ranks 77th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.02 million tonnes | 780,781 tonnes | 1.34 million tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.37 million tonnes | 995,286 tonnes | 1.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.40 million tonnes | 1.25 million tonnes | 1.59 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.68 million tonnes | 688,786 tonnes | 2.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.43 million tonnes | 1.30 million tonnes | 3.81 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.54 million tonnes | 2.53 million tonnes | 4.25 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.01 million tonnes | 3.28 million tonnes | 4.90 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 4.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 30.0% (2025)
- Rural population 18.31 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 2.2% (2025)
- Rural population 82.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 2.04 million hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereal production in Malawi?
- Cereal production in Malawi was 3.28 million tonnes in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cereal production recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 4.90 million tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest cereal production recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 688,786 tonnes in 1992.
- How does Malawi rank for cereal production?
- Malawi ranks 77th out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal production rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cereal production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains.