Cereal production in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Cereal production was 1.17 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.17 million tonnes
Change on year
down 31.3%
World rank
106th
of 186 countries
All-time high
5.04 million tonnes
in 1993
All-time low
109,952 tonnes
in 1972
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Cereal production in Saudi Arabia, 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 Saudi Arabia is 1.17 million tonnes, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 31.3% on the previous year and down 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production in Saudi Arabia peaked at 5.04 million tonnes in 1993 and was at its lowest, 109,952 tonnes, in 1972.
Saudi Arabia ranks 106th of 186 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.
Cereal production in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 360,800 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 360,320 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 393,748 tonnes | +9.3% |
| 1964 | 397,300 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 419,300 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1966 | 424,450 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 424,174 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 431,700 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 430,000 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 433,000 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 314,678 tonnes | -27.3% |
| 1972 | 109,952 tonnes | -65.1% |
| 1973 | 113,102 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 300,236 tonnes | +165.5% |
| 1975 | 289,186 tonnes | -3.7% |
| 1976 | 282,106 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 294,271 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 301,519 tonnes | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 349,887 tonnes | +16.0% |
| 1980 | 266,238 tonnes | -23.9% |
| 1981 | 294,042 tonnes | +10.4% |
| 1982 | 488,520 tonnes | +66.1% |
| 1983 | 874,586 tonnes | +79.0% |
| 1984 | 1.44 million tonnes | +65.1% |
| 1985 | 2.19 million tonnes | +51.5% |
| 1986 | 2.46 million tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1987 | 2.93 million tonnes | +19.0% |
| 1988 | 3.69 million tonnes | +26.0% |
| 1989 | 3.93 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1990 | 4.14 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 4.57 million tonnes | +10.6% |
| 1992 | 4.70 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 5.04 million tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1994 | 4.86 million tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 2.67 million tonnes | -45.1% |
| 1996 | 1.93 million tonnes | -27.6% |
| 1997 | 2.34 million tonnes | +21.1% |
| 1998 | 2.20 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1999 | 2.45 million tonnes | +11.5% |
| 2000 | 2.17 million tonnes | -11.7% |
| 2001 | 2.59 million tonnes | +19.6% |
| 2002 | 2.85 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 2003 | 2.95 million tonnes | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 3.19 million tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2005 | 3.01 million tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 3.04 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 2.96 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 2.43 million tonnes | -17.8% |
| 2009 | 1.59 million tonnes | -34.8% |
| 2010 | 1.57 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 1.41 million tonnes | -9.7% |
| 2012 | 1.08 million tonnes | -23.3% |
| 2013 | 881,553 tonnes | -18.7% |
| 2014 | 1.57 million tonnes | +78.0% |
| 2015 | 1.62 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 1.51 million tonnes | -6.8% |
| 2017 | 1.49 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 1.38 million tonnes | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 1.29 million tonnes | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 1.25 million tonnes | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 877,638 tonnes | -29.8% |
| 2022 | 1.07 million tonnes | +21.8% |
| 2023 | 1.71 million tonnes | +60.0% |
| 2024 | 1.17 million tonnes | -31.3% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 1.17 million tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.90 million tonnes, 62% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 1.17 million tonnes is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 331,329 tonnes, 3.5× 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 tonnes | 300,236 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 404,644 tonnes | 360,320 tonnes | 431,700 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 278,794 tonnes | 109,952 tonnes | 433,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.86 million tonnes | 266,238 tonnes | 3.93 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.49 million tonnes | 1.93 million tonnes | 5.04 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.68 million tonnes | 1.59 million tonnes | 3.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.38 million tonnes | 881,553 tonnes | 1.62 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.22 million tonnes | 877,638 tonnes | 1.71 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 103 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.20 million tonnes compare
- 104 South Sudan 1.20 million tonnes compare
- 105 Norway 1.18 million tonnes compare
- 107 Guyana 1.12 million tonnes compare
- 108 New Zealand 1.10 million tonnes compare
- 109 Dominican Republic 1.05 million tonnes compare
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 1.17 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.04 million tonnes in 1993.
- What is the lowest cereal production recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 109,952 tonnes in 1972.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for cereal production?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 106th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal production rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.