Cereals, primary — Area harvested in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Cereals, primary — Area harvested was 1.21 million ha in 2024. ▲ Rising
Cereals, primary — Area harvested in Sri Lanka, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
In 2024, cereals, primary — area harvested in Sri Lanka stood at 1.21 million ha.
The figure is down 2.8% on the previous year and up 26.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereals, primary — area harvested in Sri Lanka peaked at 1.28 million ha in 2015 and was at its lowest, 472,886 ha, in 1965.
That places Sri Lanka 72nd out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Cereals, primary — Area harvested in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 539,171 ha | — |
| 1962 | 568,096 ha | +5.4% |
| 1963 | 582,457 ha | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 573,881 ha | -1.5% |
| 1965 | 472,886 ha | -17.6% |
| 1966 | 583,713 ha | +23.4% |
| 1967 | 584,108 ha | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 606,910 ha | +3.9% |
| 1969 | 582,000 ha | -4.1% |
| 1970 | 763,084 ha | +31.1% |
| 1971 | 732,973 ha | -3.9% |
| 1972 | 682,632 ha | -6.9% |
| 1973 | 734,307 ha | +7.6% |
| 1974 | 875,379 ha | +19.2% |
| 1975 | 691,085 ha | -21.1% |
| 1976 | 720,940 ha | +4.3% |
| 1977 | 849,810 ha | +17.9% |
| 1978 | 901,205 ha | +6.0% |
| 1979 | 836,292 ha | -7.2% |
| 1980 | 867,782 ha | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 889,293 ha | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 795,759 ha | -10.5% |
| 1983 | 824,826 ha | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 937,257 ha | +13.6% |
| 1985 | 912,657 ha | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 882,311 ha | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 726,403 ha | -17.7% |
| 1988 | 865,221 ha | +19.1% |
| 1989 | 729,393 ha | -15.7% |
| 1990 | 869,766 ha | +19.2% |
| 1991 | 830,505 ha | -4.5% |
| 1992 | 802,603 ha | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 862,816 ha | +7.5% |
| 1994 | 938,132 ha | +8.7% |
| 1995 | 933,651 ha | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 697,613 ha | -25.3% |
| 1997 | 721,837 ha | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 803,160 ha | +11.3% |
| 1999 | 906,530 ha | +12.9% |
| 2000 | 867,548 ha | -4.3% |
| 2001 | 796,560 ha | -8.2% |
| 2002 | 848,790 ha | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 946,340 ha | +11.5% |
| 2004 | 748,720 ha | -20.9% |
| 2005 | 950,200 ha | +26.9% |
| 2006 | 948,663 ha | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 856,543 ha | -9.7% |
| 2008 | 1.11 million ha | +29.7% |
| 2009 | 999,340 ha | -10.0% |
| 2010 | 1.12 million ha | +12.5% |
| 2011 | 1.15 million ha | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 1.13 million ha | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 1.26 million ha | +11.5% |
| 2014 | 955,662 ha | -24.3% |
| 2015 | 1.28 million ha | +34.1% |
| 2016 | 1.22 million ha | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 848,534 ha | -30.2% |
| 2018 | 1.12 million ha | +31.8% |
| 2019 | 1.03 million ha | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 1.15 million ha | +12.1% |
| 2021 | 1.24 million ha | +7.9% |
| 2022 | 1.21 million ha | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 1.25 million ha | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 1.21 million ha | -2.8% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 1.21 million ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 354,364 ha, 3.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 1.21 million ha is below the median for South Asia, which is 2.24 million ha, 54% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 565,914 ha | 472,886 ha | 606,910 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 778,771 ha | 682,632 ha | 901,205 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 843,090 ha | 726,403 ha | 937,257 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 836,661 ha | 697,613 ha | 938,132 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 907,354 ha | 748,720 ha | 1.11 million ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.11 million ha | 848,534 ha | 1.28 million ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.21 million ha | 1.15 million ha | 1.25 million ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereals, primary — area harvested in Sri Lanka?
- Cereals, primary — area harvested in Sri Lanka was 1.21 million ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest cereals, primary — area harvested recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 1.28 million ha in 2015.
- What is the lowest cereals, primary — area harvested recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 472,886 ha in 1965.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for cereals, primary — area harvested?
- Sri Lanka ranks 72nd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereals, primary — area harvested rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Cereals, primary — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.