Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in China
China: Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population was 100.29 million hectares in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
100.29 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
3rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
103.21 million hectares
in 2015
All-time low
76.95 million hectares
in 2003
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in China, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
China recorded 100.29 million hectares for change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in 2024.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in China peaked at 103.21 million hectares in 2015 and was at its lowest, 76.95 million hectares, in 2003.
That places China 3rd out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in China, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 89.71 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 88.91 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1963 | 90.37 million hectares | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 92.09 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 91.09 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 92.86 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 91.97 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 1968 | 89.64 million hectares | -2.5% |
| 1969 | 91.28 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 92.89 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 96.20 million hectares | +3.6% |
| 1972 | 96.53 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 96.19 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 96.85 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 97.24 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 97.79 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 96.43 million hectares | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 96.65 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 95.47 million hectares | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 94.37 million hectares | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 91.94 million hectares | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 90.30 million hectares | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 92.10 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 91.74 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 88.15 million hectares | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 89.76 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 89.69 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 88.79 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 90.87 million hectares | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 93.58 million hectares | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 93.61 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 92.10 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 88.81 million hectares | -3.6% |
| 1994 | 87.44 million hectares | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 89.31 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 92.21 million hectares | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 92.14 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 92.12 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 91.62 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 85.26 million hectares | -6.9% |
| 2001 | 82.60 million hectares | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 81.47 million hectares | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 76.95 million hectares | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 79.35 million hectares | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 81.87 million hectares | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 84.90 million hectares | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 85.85 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 86.32 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 88.56 million hectares | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 90.03 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 91.31 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 92.94 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 94.14 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 94.98 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 103.21 million hectares | +8.7% |
| 2016 | 102.14 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 100.49 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 99.39 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 97.59 million hectares | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 97.69 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 99.87 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 98.98 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 99.71 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 100.29 million hectares | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 90.88 million hectares | 88.91 million hectares | 92.86 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 96.22 million hectares | 92.89 million hectares | 97.79 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 90.77 million hectares | 88.15 million hectares | 94.37 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 91.29 million hectares | 87.44 million hectares | 93.61 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 83.31 million hectares | 76.95 million hectares | 88.56 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 96.62 million hectares | 90.03 million hectares | 103.21 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.31 million hectares | 97.69 million hectares | 100.29 million hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 India 107.67 million hectares compare
- 2 USSR 102.82 million hectares compare
- 4 United States of America 54.08 million hectares compare
- 5 Russian Federation 39.58 million hectares compare
- 6 Brazil 27.78 million hectares compare
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in China?
- Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in China was 100.29 million hectares 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 change in cereal production, yield, land use and population recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 103.21 million hectares in 2015.
- What is the lowest change in cereal production, yield, land use and population recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.95 million hectares in 2003.
- How does China rank for change in cereal production, yield, land use and population?
- China ranks 3rd out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is change in cereal production, yield, land use and population rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this China 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 Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population. 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.