Cereal production in Zambia
Zambia: Cereal production was 1.76 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cereal production in Zambia, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, cereal production in Zambia stood at 1.76 million tonnes.
The figure is down 51.9% on the previous year and down 51.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production in Zambia peaked at 3.95 million tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 608,801 tonnes, in 1992.
Zambia ranks 94th 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 | 802,333 tonnes | 676,717 tonnes | 893,199 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.29 million tonnes | 687,555 tonnes | 1.74 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.24 million tonnes | 797,960 tonnes | 2.06 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.14 million tonnes | 608,801 tonnes | 1.76 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.35 million tonnes | 752,881 tonnes | 2.20 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.10 million tonnes | 2.23 million tonnes | 3.90 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.22 million tonnes | 1.76 million tonnes | 3.95 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More agriculture & rural data for Zambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.19 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 4.1% (2025)
- Rural population 11.85 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.9% (2025)
- Rural population 54.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.1% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.1% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 1.56 million hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereal production in Zambia?
- Cereal production in Zambia was 1.76 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.95 million tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest cereal production recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 608,801 tonnes in 1992.
- How does Zambia rank for cereal production?
- Zambia ranks 94th out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal production rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.