Cereal production in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Cereal production was 1.50 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cereal production in Sierra Leone, 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 Sierra Leone is 1.50 million tonnes, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production in Sierra Leone peaked at 2.13 million tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 222,472 tonnes, in 2000.
That places Sierra Leone 99th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, 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 Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 297,619 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 348,855 tonnes | +17.2% |
| 1963 | 364,887 tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 406,627 tonnes | +11.4% |
| 1965 | 433,450 tonnes | +6.6% |
| 1966 | 465,000 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1967 | 496,450 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 1968 | 453,550 tonnes | -8.6% |
| 1969 | 532,110 tonnes | +17.3% |
| 1970 | 473,923 tonnes | -10.9% |
| 1971 | 487,650 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 502,800 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 503,200 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 543,450 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1975 | 595,650 tonnes | +9.6% |
| 1976 | 613,350 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1977 | 634,900 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 654,900 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 533,000 tonnes | -18.6% |
| 1980 | 551,100 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 542,100 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 567,650 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 514,350 tonnes | -9.4% |
| 1984 | 561,237 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1985 | 488,150 tonnes | -13.0% |
| 1986 | 577,406 tonnes | +18.3% |
| 1987 | 517,225 tonnes | -10.4% |
| 1988 | 547,000 tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1989 | 574,100 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 563,100 tonnes | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 559,700 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 534,215 tonnes | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 542,425 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 466,400 tonnes | -14.0% |
| 1995 | 407,600 tonnes | -12.6% |
| 1996 | 444,300 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1997 | 466,800 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1998 | 373,010 tonnes | -20.1% |
| 1999 | 279,832 tonnes | -25.0% |
| 2000 | 222,472 tonnes | -20.5% |
| 2001 | 334,600 tonnes | +50.4% |
| 2002 | 466,479 tonnes | +39.4% |
| 2003 | 496,093 tonnes | +6.3% |
| 2004 | 614,202 tonnes | +23.8% |
| 2005 | 824,691 tonnes | +34.3% |
| 2006 | 1.16 million tonnes | +40.5% |
| 2007 | 656,252 tonnes | -43.4% |
| 2008 | 758,302 tonnes | +15.6% |
| 2009 | 976,873 tonnes | +28.8% |
| 2010 | 1.14 million tonnes | +17.2% |
| 2011 | 1.26 million tonnes | +9.9% |
| 2012 | 1.26 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.37 million tonnes | +9.2% |
| 2014 | 1.30 million tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 987,060 tonnes | -24.3% |
| 2016 | 984,599 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 1.03 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 1.04 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 1.08 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2020 | 1.17 million tonnes | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 2.13 million tonnes | +82.1% |
| 2022 | 1.53 million tonnes | -28.2% |
| 2023 | 1.44 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2024 | 1.50 million tonnes | +4.2% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 1.50 million tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.71 million tonnes, 55% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 1.50 million tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.65 million tonnes, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cereal production in Sierra Leone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +82.1% | 1.17 million tonnes | 2.13 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 422,061 tonnes | 297,619 tonnes | 532,110 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 554,282 tonnes | 473,923 tonnes | 654,900 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 544,032 tonnes | 488,150 tonnes | 577,406 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 463,738 tonnes | 279,832 tonnes | 563,100 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 650,889 tonnes | 222,472 tonnes | 1.16 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.15 million tonnes | 984,599 tonnes | 1.37 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.56 million tonnes | 1.17 million tonnes | 2.13 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More agriculture & rural data for Sierra Leone
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2954 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 250 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5407 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 29.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 29.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.4% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereal production in Sierra Leone?
- Cereal production in Sierra Leone was 1.50 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 2.13 million tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest cereal production recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 222,472 tonnes in 2000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for cereal production?
- Sierra Leone ranks 99th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal production rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.