Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Permanent cropland (% of land area) was 1.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2024
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
In 2024, permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 1.7%. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.8% on the previous year and up 30.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 1.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1961.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 21st of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.6% | — |
| 1962 | 0.6% | +3.2% |
| 1963 | 0.6% | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 0.6% | +3.1% |
| 1965 | 0.6% | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 0.6% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 0.6% | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 0.6% | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 0.7% | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 0.7% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 0.7% | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 0.7% | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 0.8% | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 0.8% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 0.8% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 0.8% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 0.8% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 0.8% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 0.9% | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 0.9% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 0.9% | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 1.0% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 1.1% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -7.0% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 1.3% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 1.4% | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 1.6% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.1% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 17.9% (2025)
- Rural population 731.42 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Permanent cropland in Sub-Saharan Africa was 1.7% in 2024, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest permanent cropland recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1961.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for permanent cropland?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 21st out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Permanent cropland (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 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.