Land under wheat production in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Land under wheat production was 2.75 million hectares in 2011. ▼ Falling
Latest (2011)
2.75 million hectares
Change on year
down 6.0%
Rank
3rd
of 6 groups
All-time high
3.65 million hectares
in 1972
All-time low
2.04 million hectares
in 1992
Years of data
51
1961–2011
Land under wheat production in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2011, land under wheat production in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 2.75 million hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.0% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under wheat production in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 3.65 million hectares in 1972 and was at its lowest, 2.04 million hectares, in 1992.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Land under wheat production in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.57 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 2.54 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 1963 | 2.72 million hectares | +7.1% |
| 1964 | 2.53 million hectares | -7.2% |
| 1965 | 2.66 million hectares | +5.1% |
| 1966 | 2.46 million hectares | -7.4% |
| 1967 | 2.67 million hectares | +8.7% |
| 1968 | 3.12 million hectares | +16.6% |
| 1969 | 3.35 million hectares | +7.4% |
| 1970 | 3.49 million hectares | +4.1% |
| 1971 | 3.60 million hectares | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 3.65 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 3.24 million hectares | -11.0% |
| 1974 | 3.17 million hectares | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 3.16 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 3.11 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 2.94 million hectares | -5.3% |
| 1978 | 2.96 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 2.96 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 2.65 million hectares | -10.5% |
| 1981 | 2.82 million hectares | +6.4% |
| 1982 | 3.12 million hectares | +10.8% |
| 1983 | 2.92 million hectares | -6.5% |
| 1984 | 2.98 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 3.06 million hectares | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 3.23 million hectares | +5.7% |
| 1987 | 2.93 million hectares | -9.5% |
| 1988 | 3.19 million hectares | +9.1% |
| 1989 | 3.07 million hectares | -3.7% |
| 1990 | 2.85 million hectares | -7.2% |
| 1991 | 2.85 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.04 million hectares | -28.4% |
| 1993 | 2.34 million hectares | +14.7% |
| 1994 | 2.50 million hectares | +6.9% |
| 1995 | 2.81 million hectares | +12.2% |
| 1996 | 2.94 million hectares | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 2.95 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 2.29 million hectares | -22.4% |
| 1999 | 2.30 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 2.50 million hectares | +9.0% |
| 2001 | 2.70 million hectares | +7.8% |
| 2002 | 2.47 million hectares | -8.6% |
| 2003 | 2.51 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 2.93 million hectares | +16.5% |
| 2005 | 3.01 million hectares | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 2.87 million hectares | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 2.79 million hectares | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 2.85 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 3.01 million hectares | +5.7% |
| 2010 | 2.92 million hectares | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 2.75 million hectares | -6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.74 million hectares | 2.46 million hectares | 3.35 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.23 million hectares | 2.94 million hectares | 3.65 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.00 million hectares | 2.65 million hectares | 3.23 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.59 million hectares | 2.04 million hectares | 2.95 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.76 million hectares | 2.47 million hectares | 3.01 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.83 million hectares | 2.75 million hectares | 2.92 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land under wheat production in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Land under wheat production in Sub-Saharan Africa was 2.75 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest land under wheat production recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.65 million hectares in 1972.
- What is the lowest land under wheat production recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.04 million hectares in 1992.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for land under wheat production?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is land under wheat production rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Land under wheat 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 wheat 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.