Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi
Malawi: Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre was 21.68 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 21.68 hectares per square kilometre for land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in 2023.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi peaked at 22.4 hectares per square kilometre in 2021 and was at its lowest, 9.29 hectares per square kilometre, in 1962.
That places Malawi 15th out of 181 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 9.31 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 9.29 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 9.45 hectares per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1964 | 9.53 hectares per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 11.78 hectares per square kilometre | +23.6% |
| 1966 | 11.97 hectares per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 10.31 hectares per square kilometre | -13.9% |
| 1968 | 12.46 hectares per square kilometre | +20.8% |
| 1969 | 12.56 hectares per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 11.88 hectares per square kilometre | -5.4% |
| 1971 | 12.75 hectares per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 1972 | 13.39 hectares per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1973 | 13.9 hectares per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1974 | 13.49 hectares per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 12.31 hectares per square kilometre | -8.8% |
| 1976 | 12.36 hectares per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 12.46 hectares per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 13.12 hectares per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1979 | 13.22 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 11.18 hectares per square kilometre | -15.4% |
| 1981 | 12.36 hectares per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1982 | 13.45 hectares per square kilometre | +8.8% |
| 1983 | 13 hectares per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 13.09 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 12.91 hectares per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 13.44 hectares per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 13.29 hectares per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 13.68 hectares per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 14.28 hectares per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1990 | 15.12 hectares per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1991 | 15.62 hectares per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 15.17 hectares per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 15.23 hectares per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 13.11 hectares per square kilometre | -13.9% |
| 1995 | 14.37 hectares per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 1996 | 14.82 hectares per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 14.84 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 15.27 hectares per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 16.02 hectares per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 16.66 hectares per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 16.83 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 17.35 hectares per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 18.8 hectares per square kilometre | +8.4% |
| 2004 | 17.85 hectares per square kilometre | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 17.76 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 20.46 hectares per square kilometre | +15.2% |
| 2007 | 14.79 hectares per square kilometre | -27.7% |
| 2008 | 18.88 hectares per square kilometre | +27.7% |
| 2009 | 19.01 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 20.08 hectares per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 19.88 hectares per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 19.48 hectares per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 19.96 hectares per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 20.31 hectares per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 20.02 hectares per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 19.93 hectares per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 20.68 hectares per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 20.26 hectares per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 20.96 hectares per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 21.32 hectares per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 22.4 hectares per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 21.94 hectares per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 21.68 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 21.68 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.15 hectares per square kilometre, 4.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 21.68 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.74 hectares per square kilometre, 4.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | -27.7% | 20.46 hectares per square kilometre | 14.79 hectares per square kilometre |
| 2008 | +27.7% | 14.79 hectares per square kilometre | 18.88 hectares per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.74 hectares per square kilometre | 9.29 hectares per square kilometre | 12.56 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 12.89 hectares per square kilometre | 11.88 hectares per square kilometre | 13.9 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.07 hectares per square kilometre | 11.18 hectares per square kilometre | 14.28 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.96 hectares per square kilometre | 13.11 hectares per square kilometre | 16.02 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.84 hectares per square kilometre | 14.79 hectares per square kilometre | 20.46 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.16 hectares per square kilometre | 19.48 hectares per square kilometre | 20.96 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.83 hectares per square kilometre | 21.32 hectares per square kilometre | 22.4 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 12 Nepal 23.26 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 13 Romania 22.47 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 14 Cambodia 21.89 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 16 Benin 21.55 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 17 Lithuania 21.48 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 18 Rwanda 21.38 hectares per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi?
- Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi was 21.68 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 22.4 hectares per square kilometre in 2021.
- What is the lowest land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.29 hectares per square kilometre in 1962.
- How does Malawi rank for land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre?
- Malawi ranks 15th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Land under cereal production (hectares) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Land under cereal production (hectares) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Land under cereal production FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Land under cereal production (hectares) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.