Land under sorghum production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Land under sorghum production was 19.38 million hectares in 2011. ▲ Rising
Latest (2011)
19.38 million hectares
Change on year
down 21.8%
Rank
2nd
of 6 groups
All-time high
28.59 million hectares
in 2005
All-time low
12.26 million hectares
in 1979
Years of data
51
1961–2011
Land under sorghum production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2011, land under sorghum production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 19.38 million hectares.
The figure is down 21.8% on the previous year and down 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under sorghum production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 28.59 million hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 12.26 million hectares, in 1979.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Land under sorghum production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12.90 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 12.99 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 13.51 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 1964 | 13.49 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 14.07 million hectares | +4.3% |
| 1966 | 13.10 million hectares | -6.9% |
| 1967 | 14.76 million hectares | +12.7% |
| 1968 | 13.03 million hectares | -11.7% |
| 1969 | 17.09 million hectares | +31.2% |
| 1970 | 15.15 million hectares | -11.4% |
| 1971 | 14.83 million hectares | -2.1% |
| 1972 | 12.65 million hectares | -14.6% |
| 1973 | 13.96 million hectares | +10.3% |
| 1974 | 14.10 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 12.76 million hectares | -9.5% |
| 1976 | 15.06 million hectares | +18.0% |
| 1977 | 13.83 million hectares | -8.2% |
| 1978 | 13.83 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 12.26 million hectares | -11.4% |
| 1980 | 13.91 million hectares | +13.5% |
| 1981 | 13.67 million hectares | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 13.28 million hectares | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 13.59 million hectares | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 15.37 million hectares | +13.1% |
| 1985 | 18.38 million hectares | +19.6% |
| 1986 | 18.70 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 17.12 million hectares | -8.4% |
| 1988 | 19.41 million hectares | +13.4% |
| 1989 | 17.88 million hectares | -7.9% |
| 1990 | 16.29 million hectares | -8.9% |
| 1991 | 19.88 million hectares | +22.1% |
| 1992 | 21.39 million hectares | +7.6% |
| 1993 | 21.08 million hectares | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 22.56 million hectares | +7.0% |
| 1995 | 21.44 million hectares | -5.0% |
| 1996 | 23.28 million hectares | +8.6% |
| 1997 | 23.67 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 23.21 million hectares | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 21.21 million hectares | -8.6% |
| 2000 | 21.08 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 23.34 million hectares | +10.7% |
| 2002 | 22.42 million hectares | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 25.08 million hectares | +11.8% |
| 2004 | 21.95 million hectares | -12.5% |
| 2005 | 28.59 million hectares | +30.2% |
| 2006 | 26.04 million hectares | -8.9% |
| 2007 | 26.83 million hectares | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 27.53 million hectares | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 24.58 million hectares | -10.7% |
| 2010 | 24.78 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 19.38 million hectares | -21.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.88 million hectares | 12.90 million hectares | 17.09 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 13.84 million hectares | 12.26 million hectares | 15.15 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.13 million hectares | 13.28 million hectares | 19.41 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.40 million hectares | 16.29 million hectares | 23.67 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.74 million hectares | 21.08 million hectares | 28.59 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.08 million hectares | 19.38 million hectares | 24.78 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.90 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 17.9% (2025)
- Rural population 731.36 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1792 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land under sorghum production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Land under sorghum production in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 19.38 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest land under sorghum production recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 28.59 million hectares in 2005.
- What is the lowest land under sorghum production recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.26 million hectares in 1979.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for land under sorghum production?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 2nd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is land under sorghum production rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Land under sorghum production (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Land under sorghum 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.