Permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Permanent cropland was 23.41 million hectares in 2011. ▲ Rising
Latest (2011)
23.41 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
3rd
of 6 groups
All-time high
23.41 million hectares
in 2011
All-time low
11.48 million hectares
in 1961
Years of data
51
1961–2011
Permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 23.41 million hectares for permanent cropland in 2011. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 23.41 million hectares in 2011 and was at its lowest, 11.48 million hectares, in 1961.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 11.48 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 11.94 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 1963 | 12.05 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 12.47 million hectares | +3.5% |
| 1965 | 12.72 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 12.87 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 13.08 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 13.24 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 13.42 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 13.57 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1971 | 13.78 million hectares | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 13.92 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 14.23 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 14.56 million hectares | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 14.94 million hectares | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 15.26 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 15.76 million hectares | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 15.99 million hectares | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 16.04 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 16.18 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 16.43 million hectares | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 16.67 million hectares | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 16.87 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 16.97 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 17.36 million hectares | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 17.59 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 17.63 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 17.96 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 18.13 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 18.34 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 18.44 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 18.58 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 18.59 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 18.81 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 18.81 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 18.97 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 19.10 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 19.61 million hectares | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 19.80 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 20.12 million hectares | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 20.29 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 20.42 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 20.95 million hectares | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 21.61 million hectares | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 21.99 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 22.11 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 22.43 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 22.80 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 23.13 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 23.35 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 23.41 million hectares | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.59 million hectares | 11.48 million hectares | 13.42 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 14.80 million hectares | 13.57 million hectares | 16.04 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.18 million hectares | 16.18 million hectares | 18.13 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.91 million hectares | 18.34 million hectares | 19.80 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.59 million hectares | 20.12 million hectares | 23.13 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.38 million hectares | 23.35 million hectares | 23.41 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)
- 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)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1792 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 23.41 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest permanent cropland recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 23.41 million hectares in 2011.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.48 million hectares in 1961.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for permanent cropland?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 3rd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.4%. 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 Permanent cropland (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
Permanent cropland is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber.