Maize yield in Zambia
Zambia: Maize yield was 2,410 kg per hectare in 2011. ▲ Rising
Maize yield in Zambia, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in kg per hectare.
Analysis
The most recent figure for maize yield in Zambia is 2,410 kg per hectare, measured in 2011.
That represents a change of down 6.9% on the previous year and up 74.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maize yield in Zambia peaked at 2,687 kg per hectare in 1988 and was at its lowest, 633.3 kg per hectare, in 1970.
That places Zambia 8th 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 yield in Zambia, year by year
| Year | kg per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 880 kg per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 853.3 kg per hectare | -3.0% |
| 1963 | 740.3 kg per hectare | -13.2% |
| 1964 | 835.4 kg per hectare | +12.8% |
| 1965 | 875 kg per hectare | +4.7% |
| 1966 | 939 kg per hectare | +7.3% |
| 1967 | 927.7 kg per hectare | -1.2% |
| 1968 | 823.5 kg per hectare | -11.2% |
| 1969 | 804.6 kg per hectare | -2.3% |
| 1970 | 633.3 kg per hectare | -21.3% |
| 1971 | 921.2 kg per hectare | +45.5% |
| 1972 | 1,143 kg per hectare | +24.1% |
| 1973 | 891.5 kg per hectare | -22.0% |
| 1974 | 1,027 kg per hectare | +15.2% |
| 1975 | 1,454 kg per hectare | +41.5% |
| 1976 | 1,493 kg per hectare | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 1,692 kg per hectare | +13.4% |
| 1978 | 1,705 kg per hectare | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 1,688 kg per hectare | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 1,688 kg per hectare | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 2,040 kg per hectare | +20.9% |
| 1982 | 1,651 kg per hectare | -19.1% |
| 1983 | 1,711 kg per hectare | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 1,721 kg per hectare | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1,929 kg per hectare | +12.1% |
| 1986 | 2,091 kg per hectare | +8.4% |
| 1987 | 1,745 kg per hectare | -16.6% |
| 1988 | 2,687 kg per hectare | +54.0% |
| 1989 | 1,808 kg per hectare | -32.7% |
| 1990 | 1,432 kg per hectare | -20.8% |
| 1991 | 1,714 kg per hectare | +19.7% |
| 1992 | 731.1 kg per hectare | -57.3% |
| 1993 | 2,523 kg per hectare | +245.1% |
| 1994 | 1,502 kg per hectare | -40.4% |
| 1995 | 1,418 kg per hectare | -5.6% |
| 1996 | 2,086 kg per hectare | +47.1% |
| 1997 | 1,479 kg per hectare | -29.1% |
| 1998 | 1,250 kg per hectare | -15.5% |
| 1999 | 1,376 kg per hectare | +10.0% |
| 2000 | 1,772 kg per hectare | +28.8% |
| 2001 | 1,378 kg per hectare | -22.2% |
| 2002 | 1,410 kg per hectare | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 1,726 kg per hectare | +22.4% |
| 2004 | 1,924 kg per hectare | +11.5% |
| 2005 | 1,859 kg per hectare | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 1,899 kg per hectare | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 2,334 kg per hectare | +22.9% |
| 2008 | 2,244 kg per hectare | -3.9% |
| 2009 | 2,069 kg per hectare | -7.8% |
| 2010 | 2,587 kg per hectare | +25.0% |
| 2011 | 2,410 kg per hectare | -6.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 2,410 kg per hectare is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,330 kg per hectare, 1.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 2,410 kg per hectare is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,322 kg per hectare, 1.8× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Maize yield in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +245.1% | 731.1 kg per hectare | 2,523 kg per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 853.2 kg per hectare | 740.3 kg per hectare | 939 kg per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,265 kg per hectare | 633.3 kg per hectare | 1,705 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,907 kg per hectare | 1,651 kg per hectare | 2,687 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,551 kg per hectare | 731.1 kg per hectare | 2,523 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,862 kg per hectare | 1,378 kg per hectare | 2,334 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,498 kg per hectare | 2,410 kg per hectare | 2,587 kg per hectare | 2 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More agriculture & rural data for Zambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 65.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0411 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 54.11 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5408 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maize yield in Zambia?
- Maize yield in Zambia was 2,410 kg per hectare in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest maize yield recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 2,687 kg per hectare in 1988.
- What is the lowest maize yield recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 633.3 kg per hectare in 1970.
- How does Zambia rank for maize yield?
- Zambia ranks 8th out of 49 countries with data for 2011.
- Is maize yield rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 74.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Maize yield (kg per hectare). 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
Maize yield, measured as kilograms per hectare of harvested land. Production data on relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Crop harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.