Land under maize production in Kenya
Kenya: Land under maize production was 2.13 million hectares in 2011. ▲ Rising
Land under maize production in Kenya, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land under maize production in Kenya is 2.13 million hectares, measured in 2011. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.2% on the previous year and up 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under maize production in Kenya peaked at 2.13 million hectares in 2011 and was at its lowest, 750,000 hectares, in 1961.
That places Kenya 4th out of 49 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Land under maize production in Kenya, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 750,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 900,000 hectares | +20.0% |
| 1963 | 1.00 million hectares | +11.1% |
| 1964 | 1.05 million hectares | +5.0% |
| 1965 | 1.21 million hectares | +15.6% |
| 1966 | 1.01 million hectares | -16.8% |
| 1967 | 1.20 million hectares | +18.8% |
| 1968 | 1.38 million hectares | +15.0% |
| 1969 | 1.35 million hectares | -2.2% |
| 1970 | 1.20 million hectares | -11.1% |
| 1971 | 1.15 million hectares | -4.2% |
| 1972 | 1.30 million hectares | +13.0% |
| 1973 | 1.45 million hectares | +11.5% |
| 1974 | 1.45 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.45 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1.59 million hectares | +9.7% |
| 1977 | 1.57 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 1978 | 1.49 million hectares | -5.1% |
| 1979 | 1.35 million hectares | -9.4% |
| 1980 | 1.35 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1.12 million hectares | -17.0% |
| 1982 | 1.21 million hectares | +7.9% |
| 1983 | 1.30 million hectares | +7.6% |
| 1984 | 985,000 hectares | -24.2% |
| 1985 | 1.41 million hectares | +43.2% |
| 1986 | 1.42 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 1.41 million hectares | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 1.45 million hectares | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 1.42 million hectares | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 1.38 million hectares | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 1.31 million hectares | -5.1% |
| 1992 | 1.41 million hectares | +7.4% |
| 1993 | 1.34 million hectares | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 1.50 million hectares | +11.6% |
| 1995 | 1.44 million hectares | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 1.49 million hectares | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 1.50 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 1.48 million hectares | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 1.57 million hectares | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 1.50 million hectares | -4.3% |
| 2001 | 1.64 million hectares | +9.3% |
| 2002 | 1.59 million hectares | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 1.67 million hectares | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 1.35 million hectares | -19.1% |
| 2005 | 1.77 million hectares | +31.1% |
| 2006 | 1.89 million hectares | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 1.62 million hectares | -14.5% |
| 2008 | 1.70 million hectares | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 1.88 million hectares | +10.8% |
| 2010 | 2.01 million hectares | +6.6% |
| 2011 | 2.13 million hectares | +6.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 2.13 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 485,000 hectares, 4.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 2.13 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 231,402 hectares, 9.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.09 million hectares | 750,000 hectares | 1.38 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.40 million hectares | 1.15 million hectares | 1.59 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.31 million hectares | 985,000 hectares | 1.45 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.44 million hectares | 1.31 million hectares | 1.57 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.66 million hectares | 1.35 million hectares | 1.89 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.07 million hectares | 2.01 million hectares | 2.13 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6779 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 12.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land under maize production in Kenya?
- Land under maize production in Kenya was 2.13 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest land under maize production recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 2.13 million hectares in 2011.
- What is the lowest land under maize production recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 750,000 hectares in 1961.
- How does Kenya rank for land under maize production?
- Kenya ranks 4th out of 49 countries with data for 2011.
- Is land under maize production rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Land under maize production (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Land under maize production refers to harvested area, although some countries report only sown or cultivated area. Production data on relate to crop harvested for dry grain only. Crop harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.