Cereal yields in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Cereal yields was 5.11 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.11 tonnes per hectare
Change on year
down 3.9%
World rank
43rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
5.63 tonnes per hectare
in 2017
All-time low
0.5635 tonnes per hectare
in 1973
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Cereal yields 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 per hectare.
Analysis
In 2024, cereal yields in Saudi Arabia stood at 5.11 tonnes per hectare.
That represents a change of down 3.9% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal yields in Saudi Arabia peaked at 5.63 tonnes per hectare in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.5635 tonnes per hectare, in 1973.
That places Saudi Arabia 43rd out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cereal yields in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.32 tonnes per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 1.32 tonnes per hectare | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 1.37 tonnes per hectare | +4.1% |
| 1964 | 1.35 tonnes per hectare | -1.5% |
| 1965 | 1.37 tonnes per hectare | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 1.36 tonnes per hectare | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 1.36 tonnes per hectare | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 1.14 tonnes per hectare | -16.3% |
| 1969 | 1.33 tonnes per hectare | +16.5% |
| 1970 | 1.28 tonnes per hectare | -3.8% |
| 1971 | 0.7347 tonnes per hectare | -42.5% |
| 1972 | 0.7142 tonnes per hectare | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 0.5635 tonnes per hectare | -21.1% |
| 1974 | 0.7302 tonnes per hectare | +29.6% |
| 1975 | 0.8378 tonnes per hectare | +14.7% |
| 1976 | 0.6591 tonnes per hectare | -21.3% |
| 1977 | 0.7518 tonnes per hectare | +14.1% |
| 1978 | 0.7446 tonnes per hectare | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 0.799 tonnes per hectare | +7.3% |
| 1980 | 0.5876 tonnes per hectare | -26.5% |
| 1981 | 1.07 tonnes per hectare | +82.4% |
| 1982 | 1.86 tonnes per hectare | +74.0% |
| 1983 | 2.76 tonnes per hectare | +48.2% |
| 1984 | 3.24 tonnes per hectare | +17.0% |
| 1985 | 3.47 tonnes per hectare | +7.3% |
| 1986 | 3.84 tonnes per hectare | +10.6% |
| 1987 | 4.11 tonnes per hectare | +6.9% |
| 1988 | 4.13 tonnes per hectare | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 4.09 tonnes per hectare | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 4.24 tonnes per hectare | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 4.2 tonnes per hectare | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 4.19 tonnes per hectare | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 4.46 tonnes per hectare | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 4.55 tonnes per hectare | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 3.78 tonnes per hectare | -16.8% |
| 1996 | 3.43 tonnes per hectare | -9.4% |
| 1997 | 3.56 tonnes per hectare | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 3.54 tonnes per hectare | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 3.58 tonnes per hectare | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 3.52 tonnes per hectare | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 3.93 tonnes per hectare | +11.8% |
| 2002 | 4.05 tonnes per hectare | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 4.23 tonnes per hectare | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 4.68 tonnes per hectare | +10.6% |
| 2005 | 4.75 tonnes per hectare | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 5.05 tonnes per hectare | +6.2% |
| 2007 | 5.12 tonnes per hectare | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 5.22 tonnes per hectare | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 4.87 tonnes per hectare | -6.6% |
| 2010 | 5.51 tonnes per hectare | +13.0% |
| 2011 | 5.48 tonnes per hectare | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 5.16 tonnes per hectare | -5.8% |
| 2013 | 5.36 tonnes per hectare | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 5.19 tonnes per hectare | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 5.58 tonnes per hectare | +7.5% |
| 2016 | 5.44 tonnes per hectare | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 5.63 tonnes per hectare | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 5.61 tonnes per hectare | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 5.3 tonnes per hectare | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 4.82 tonnes per hectare | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 4.73 tonnes per hectare | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 5 tonnes per hectare | +5.8% |
| 2023 | 5.31 tonnes per hectare | +6.2% |
| 2024 | 5.11 tonnes per hectare | -3.9% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 5.11 tonnes per hectare is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.11 tonnes per hectare, 1.0× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 5.11 tonnes per hectare is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2.64 tonnes per hectare, 1.9× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cereal yields 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +82.4% | 0.5876 tonnes per hectare | 1.07 tonnes per hectare |
| 1982 | +74.0% | 1.07 tonnes per hectare | 1.86 tonnes per hectare |
| 1983 | +48.2% | 1.86 tonnes per hectare | 2.76 tonnes per hectare |
| 1971 | -42.5% | 1.28 tonnes per hectare | 0.7347 tonnes per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.32 tonnes per hectare | 1.14 tonnes per hectare | 1.37 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.7812 tonnes per hectare | 0.5635 tonnes per hectare | 1.28 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.92 tonnes per hectare | 0.5876 tonnes per hectare | 4.13 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.95 tonnes per hectare | 3.43 tonnes per hectare | 4.55 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.54 tonnes per hectare | 3.52 tonnes per hectare | 5.22 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.43 tonnes per hectare | 5.16 tonnes per hectare | 5.63 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.99 tonnes per hectare | 4.73 tonnes per hectare | 5.31 tonnes per hectare | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
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 yields in Saudi Arabia?
- Cereal yields in Saudi Arabia was 5.11 tonnes per hectare 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 yields recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.63 tonnes per hectare in 2017.
- What is the lowest cereal yields recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5635 tonnes per hectare in 1973.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for cereal yields?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 43rd out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal yields rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. 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 yields. 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
Measured in tonnes per hectare.