Maize production in Kenya
Kenya: Maize production was 3.38 million metric tons in 2011. ▲ Rising
Latest (2011)
3.38 million metric tons
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
7th
of 49 countries
All-time high
3.46 million metric tons
in 2010
All-time low
940,000 metric tons
in 1961
Years of data
51
1961–2011
Maize production in Kenya, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in metric tons.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 3.38 million metric tons for maize production in 2011.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maize production in Kenya peaked at 3.46 million metric tons in 2010 and was at its lowest, 940,000 metric tons, in 1961.
That places Kenya 7th out of 49 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Maize production in Kenya, year by year
| Year | metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 940,000 metric tons | — |
| 1962 | 1.10 million metric tons | +17.0% |
| 1963 | 1.25 million metric tons | +13.6% |
| 1964 | 1.23 million metric tons | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 1.30 million metric tons | +5.7% |
| 1966 | 1.09 million metric tons | -16.2% |
| 1967 | 1.44 million metric tons | +32.1% |
| 1968 | 1.73 million metric tons | +20.1% |
| 1969 | 1.72 million metric tons | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 1.47 million metric tons | -14.5% |
| 1971 | 1.40 million metric tons | -4.8% |
| 1972 | 1.63 million metric tons | +16.4% |
| 1973 | 1.87 million metric tons | +14.7% |
| 1974 | 1.95 million metric tons | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 2.05 million metric tons | +5.1% |
| 1976 | 2.60 million metric tons | +26.8% |
| 1977 | 2.55 million metric tons | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 2.17 million metric tons | -15.0% |
| 1979 | 1.75 million metric tons | -19.1% |
| 1980 | 1.62 million metric tons | -7.7% |
| 1981 | 1.77 million metric tons | +9.1% |
| 1982 | 2.50 million metric tons | +41.5% |
| 1983 | 2.30 million metric tons | -8.1% |
| 1984 | 1.42 million metric tons | -38.2% |
| 1985 | 2.43 million metric tons | +70.9% |
| 1986 | 2.90 million metric tons | +19.3% |
| 1987 | 2.42 million metric tons | -16.6% |
| 1988 | 2.76 million metric tons | +14.3% |
| 1989 | 2.63 million metric tons | -4.7% |
| 1990 | 2.29 million metric tons | -13.0% |
| 1991 | 2.40 million metric tons | +4.8% |
| 1992 | 2.43 million metric tons | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 2.09 million metric tons | -14.0% |
| 1994 | 3.06 million metric tons | +46.5% |
| 1995 | 2.70 million metric tons | -11.8% |
| 1996 | 2.16 million metric tons | -20.0% |
| 1997 | 2.21 million metric tons | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 2.46 million metric tons | +11.3% |
| 1999 | 2.32 million metric tons | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 2.16 million metric tons | -7.0% |
| 2001 | 2.79 million metric tons | +29.2% |
| 2002 | 2.41 million metric tons | -13.7% |
| 2003 | 2.71 million metric tons | +12.5% |
| 2004 | 2.61 million metric tons | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 2.91 million metric tons | +11.4% |
| 2006 | 3.25 million metric tons | +11.8% |
| 2007 | 2.93 million metric tons | -9.8% |
| 2008 | 2.37 million metric tons | -19.2% |
| 2009 | 2.44 million metric tons | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 3.46 million metric tons | +42.0% |
| 2011 | 3.38 million metric tons | -2.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 3.38 million metric tons is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 621,790 metric tons, 5.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 3.38 million metric tons is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 326,794 metric tons, 10.3× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.31 million metric tons | 940,000 metric tons | 1.73 million metric tons | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.94 million metric tons | 1.40 million metric tons | 2.60 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.27 million metric tons | 1.42 million metric tons | 2.90 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.41 million metric tons | 2.09 million metric tons | 3.06 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.66 million metric tons | 2.16 million metric tons | 3.25 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.42 million metric tons | 3.38 million metric tons | 3.46 million metric tons | 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 maize production in Kenya?
- Maize production in Kenya was 3.38 million metric tons in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest maize production recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 3.46 million metric tons in 2010.
- What is the lowest maize production recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 940,000 metric tons in 1961.
- How does Kenya rank for maize production?
- Kenya ranks 7th out of 49 countries with data for 2011.
- Is maize production rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.0%. 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 Maize production (metric tons). 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
Production data on maize 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.