Land under cereal production in Botswana
Botswana: Land under cereal production was 60,588 hectares in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
60,588 hectares
Change on year
down 29.3%
World rank
139th
of 181 countries
All-time high
288,300 hectares
in 1988
All-time low
35,172 hectares
in 1965
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Land under cereal production in Botswana, 1961–2024
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land under cereal production in Botswana is 60,588 hectares, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 29.3% on the previous year and down 63.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under cereal production in Botswana peaked at 288,300 hectares in 1988 and was at its lowest, 35,172 hectares, in 1965.
Botswana ranks 139th of 181 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Land under cereal production in Botswana, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 181,860 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 49,768 hectares | -72.6% |
| 1963 | 48,460 hectares | -2.6% |
| 1964 | 41,698 hectares | -14.0% |
| 1965 | 35,172 hectares | -15.7% |
| 1966 | 80,619 hectares | +129.2% |
| 1967 | 206,775 hectares | +156.5% |
| 1968 | 99,160 hectares | -52.0% |
| 1969 | 161,765 hectares | +63.1% |
| 1970 | 182,379 hectares | +12.7% |
| 1971 | 215,194 hectares | +18.0% |
| 1972 | 83,818 hectares | -61.1% |
| 1973 | 125,250 hectares | +49.4% |
| 1974 | 160,270 hectares | +28.0% |
| 1975 | 150,270 hectares | -6.2% |
| 1976 | 191,470 hectares | +27.4% |
| 1977 | 177,300 hectares | -7.4% |
| 1978 | 127,300 hectares | -28.2% |
| 1979 | 73,700 hectares | -42.1% |
| 1980 | 193,500 hectares | +162.6% |
| 1981 | 196,900 hectares | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 67,100 hectares | -65.9% |
| 1983 | 63,200 hectares | -5.8% |
| 1984 | 63,200 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 103,000 hectares | +63.0% |
| 1986 | 118,400 hectares | +15.0% |
| 1987 | 127,300 hectares | +7.5% |
| 1988 | 288,300 hectares | +126.5% |
| 1989 | 267,500 hectares | -7.2% |
| 1990 | 204,982 hectares | -23.4% |
| 1991 | 137,174 hectares | -33.1% |
| 1992 | 77,933 hectares | -43.2% |
| 1993 | 109,311 hectares | +40.3% |
| 1994 | 247,549 hectares | +126.5% |
| 1995 | 136,931 hectares | -44.7% |
| 1996 | 276,883 hectares | +102.2% |
| 1997 | 158,760 hectares | -42.7% |
| 1998 | 60,531 hectares | -61.9% |
| 1999 | 91,141 hectares | +50.6% |
| 2000 | 120,638 hectares | +32.4% |
| 2001 | 68,251 hectares | -43.4% |
| 2002 | 96,508 hectares | +41.4% |
| 2003 | 90,990 hectares | -5.7% |
| 2004 | 97,254 hectares | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 116,746 hectares | +20.0% |
| 2006 | 117,650 hectares | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 79,167 hectares | -32.7% |
| 2008 | 101,822 hectares | +28.6% |
| 2009 | 152,311 hectares | +49.6% |
| 2010 | 135,467 hectares | -11.1% |
| 2011 | 163,673 hectares | +20.8% |
| 2012 | 102,001 hectares | -37.7% |
| 2013 | 88,982 hectares | -12.8% |
| 2014 | 164,658 hectares | +85.0% |
| 2015 | 105,866 hectares | -35.7% |
| 2016 | 134,350 hectares | +26.9% |
| 2017 | 73,297 hectares | -45.4% |
| 2018 | 204,263 hectares | +178.7% |
| 2019 | 126,623 hectares | -38.0% |
| 2020 | 202,083 hectares | +59.6% |
| 2021 | 121,926 hectares | -39.7% |
| 2022 | 111,998 hectares | -8.1% |
| 2023 | 85,700 hectares | -23.5% |
| 2024 | 60,588 hectares | -29.3% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 60,588 hectares is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 615,072 hectares, 10% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 60,588 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.49 million hectares, 4% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 100,586 hectares | 35,172 hectares | 206,775 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 148,695 hectares | 73,700 hectares | 215,194 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 148,840 hectares | 63,200 hectares | 288,300 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 150,120 hectares | 60,531 hectares | 276,883 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 104,134 hectares | 68,251 hectares | 152,311 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 129,918 hectares | 73,297 hectares | 204,263 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 116,459 hectares | 60,588 hectares | 202,083 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More agriculture & rural data for Botswana
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0178 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 138.54 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0839 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3204 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land under cereal production in Botswana?
- Land under cereal production in Botswana was 60,588 hectares in 2024, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest land under cereal production recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 288,300 hectares in 1988.
- What is the lowest land under cereal production recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 35,172 hectares in 1965.
- How does Botswana rank for land under cereal production?
- Botswana ranks 139th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is land under cereal production rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 63.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Land under cereal production (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Land under cereal production refers to harvested area, although some countries report only sown or cultivated area. Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains. 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 and those used for grazing are excluded.