Crop yields in Malawi
Malawi: Crop yields was 0.4877 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Crop yields in Malawi, 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
The most recent figure for crop yields in Malawi is 0.4877 tonnes per hectare, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 156.7% on the previous year and down 60.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, crop yields in Malawi peaked at 2.59 tonnes per hectare in 1970 and was at its lowest, 0.163 tonnes per hectare, in 2022.
Malawi ranks 123rd of 125 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
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 | 1.89 tonnes per hectare | 1.5 tonnes per hectare | 2.55 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.1 tonnes per hectare | 1.25 tonnes per hectare | 2.59 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.797 tonnes per hectare | 0.3329 tonnes per hectare | 1.25 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6307 tonnes per hectare | 0.2244 tonnes per hectare | 0.8619 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.12 tonnes per hectare | 0.5588 tonnes per hectare | 2.3 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.28 tonnes per hectare | 0.7905 tonnes per hectare | 1.52 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6637 tonnes per hectare | 0.163 tonnes per hectare | 1.26 tonnes per hectare | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 120 Lesotho 0.7195 tonnes per hectare compare
- 121 New Caledonia 0.6732 tonnes per hectare compare
- 122 Honduras 0.5336 tonnes per hectare compare
- 124 Somalia 0.4006 tonnes per hectare compare
- 125 Mozambique 0.3125 tonnes per hectare compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 4.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 30.0% (2025)
- Rural population 18.31 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 2.2% (2025)
- Rural population 82.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 2.04 million hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is crop yields in Malawi?
- Crop yields in Malawi was 0.4877 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 crop yields recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2.59 tonnes per hectare in 1970.
- What is the lowest crop yields recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.163 tonnes per hectare in 2022.
- How does Malawi rank for crop yields?
- Malawi ranks 123rd out of 125 countries with data for 2024.
- Is crop yields rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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 Crop 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
Yield is the amount produced per unit of land used, measured in tonnes per hectare.