Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? in Australia
Australia: Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? was 1.55 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? in Australia, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? in Australia is 1.55 million tonnes, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 10.6% on the previous year and up 46.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? in Australia peaked at 2.14 million tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2,000 tonnes, in 1961.
Australia ranks 82nd of 192 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.
Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? in Australia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2,000 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 3,000 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 1963 | 3,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 4,000 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 1965 | 5,000 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1966 | 9,000 tonnes | +80.0% |
| 1967 | 6,000 tonnes | -33.3% |
| 1968 | 11,000 tonnes | +83.3% |
| 1969 | 38,000 tonnes | +245.5% |
| 1970 | 8,000 tonnes | -78.9% |
| 1971 | 8,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 8,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 10,000 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1974 | 9,000 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 1975 | 11,000 tonnes | +22.2% |
| 1976 | 14,000 tonnes | +27.3% |
| 1977 | 16,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1978 | 15,000 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1979 | 14,000 tonnes | -6.7% |
| 1980 | 15,000 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 1981 | 21,000 tonnes | +40.0% |
| 1982 | 29,000 tonnes | +38.1% |
| 1983 | 52,000 tonnes | +79.3% |
| 1984 | 45,000 tonnes | -13.5% |
| 1985 | 52,000 tonnes | +15.6% |
| 1986 | 55,000 tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1987 | 51,000 tonnes | -7.3% |
| 1988 | 56,000 tonnes | +9.8% |
| 1989 | 66,000 tonnes | +17.9% |
| 1990 | 82,000 tonnes | +24.2% |
| 1991 | 82,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 86,000 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1993 | 86,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 129,000 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 1995 | 351,000 tonnes | +172.1% |
| 1996 | 115,000 tonnes | -67.2% |
| 1997 | 129,000 tonnes | +12.2% |
| 1998 | 117,000 tonnes | -9.3% |
| 1999 | 153,000 tonnes | +30.8% |
| 2000 | 170,000 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 2001 | 181,000 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 213,000 tonnes | +17.7% |
| 2003 | 627,000 tonnes | +194.4% |
| 2004 | 291,000 tonnes | -53.6% |
| 2005 | 318,000 tonnes | +9.3% |
| 2006 | 311,000 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 392,000 tonnes | +26.0% |
| 2008 | 455,000 tonnes | +16.1% |
| 2009 | 464,000 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 879,000 tonnes | +89.4% |
| 2011 | 904,000 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 881,000 tonnes | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 1.06 million tonnes | +20.8% |
| 2014 | 1.20 million tonnes | +13.1% |
| 2015 | 1.25 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 1.26 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 1.27 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 1.33 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 1.90 million tonnes | +42.8% |
| 2020 | 2.14 million tonnes | +12.2% |
| 2021 | 1.57 million tonnes | -26.6% |
| 2022 | 1.74 million tonnes | +11.0% |
| 2023 | 1.55 million tonnes | -10.6% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.55 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.55 million tonnes, 1.0× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.55 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 467,000 tonnes, 3.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? in Australia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | +245.5% | 11,000 tonnes | 38,000 tonnes |
| 2003 | +194.4% | 213,000 tonnes | 627,000 tonnes |
| 1995 | +172.1% | 129,000 tonnes | 351,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9,000 tonnes | 2,000 tonnes | 38,000 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 11,300 tonnes | 8,000 tonnes | 16,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 44,200 tonnes | 15,000 tonnes | 66,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 133,000 tonnes | 82,000 tonnes | 351,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 342,200 tonnes | 170,000 tonnes | 627,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.19 million tonnes | 879,000 tonnes | 1.90 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.75 million tonnes | 1.55 million tonnes | 2.14 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0227 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,476 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5855 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1228 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? in Australia?
- Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? in Australia was 1.55 million tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.14 million tonnes in 2020.
- What is the lowest cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,000 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Australia rank for cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters??
- Australia ranks 82nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Imports and exports are measured as the net sum of all cereal crop varieties. Countries which lie above the grey line are net importers of cereals; those below the line are net exporters.