Rice — Area harvested in Malawi
Malawi: Rice — Area harvested was 80,100 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Rice — Area harvested in Malawi, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rice — area harvested in Malawi is 80,100 ha, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rice — area harvested in Malawi peaked at 80,100 ha in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4,451 ha, in 1963.
Malawi ranks 54th of 133 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rice — Area harvested in Malawi, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 13,100 ha | — |
| 1962 | 6,000 ha | -54.2% |
| 1963 | 4,451 ha | -25.8% |
| 1964 | 4,856 ha | +9.1% |
| 1965 | 6,000 ha | +23.6% |
| 1966 | 16,300 ha | +171.7% |
| 1967 | 15,800 ha | -3.1% |
| 1968 | 11,000 ha | -30.4% |
| 1969 | 16,000 ha | +45.5% |
| 1970 | 19,600 ha | +22.5% |
| 1971 | 32,000 ha | +63.3% |
| 1972 | 42,000 ha | +31.2% |
| 1973 | 40,000 ha | -4.8% |
| 1974 | 42,000 ha | +5.0% |
| 1975 | 40,000 ha | -4.8% |
| 1976 | 45,000 ha | +12.5% |
| 1977 | 45,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 47,000 ha | +4.4% |
| 1979 | 45,000 ha | -4.3% |
| 1980 | 42,000 ha | -6.7% |
| 1981 | 22,840 ha | -45.6% |
| 1982 | 22,500 ha | -1.5% |
| 1983 | 20,309 ha | -9.7% |
| 1984 | 21,917 ha | +7.9% |
| 1985 | 20,807 ha | -5.1% |
| 1986 | 22,874 ha | +9.9% |
| 1987 | 19,076 ha | -16.6% |
| 1988 | 22,658 ha | +18.8% |
| 1989 | 25,573 ha | +12.9% |
| 1990 | 29,042 ha | +13.6% |
| 1991 | 32,841 ha | +13.1% |
| 1992 | 18,241 ha | -44.5% |
| 1993 | 38,824 ha | +112.8% |
| 1994 | 27,067 ha | -30.3% |
| 1995 | 33,308 ha | +23.1% |
| 1996 | 41,223 ha | +23.8% |
| 1997 | 40,368 ha | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 41,854 ha | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 45,779 ha | +9.4% |
| 2000 | 43,523 ha | -4.9% |
| 2001 | 50,146 ha | +15.2% |
| 2002 | 56,029 ha | +11.7% |
| 2003 | 54,393 ha | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 42,568 ha | -21.7% |
| 2005 | 48,993 ha | +15.1% |
| 2006 | 52,031 ha | +6.2% |
| 2007 | 58,091 ha | +11.6% |
| 2008 | 63,124 ha | +8.7% |
| 2009 | 63,967 ha | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 59,098 ha | -7.6% |
| 2011 | 61,559 ha | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 60,132 ha | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 65,275 ha | +8.6% |
| 2014 | 67,400 ha | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 65,761 ha | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 53,676 ha | -18.4% |
| 2017 | 64,881 ha | +20.9% |
| 2018 | 63,971 ha | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 70,573 ha | +10.3% |
| 2020 | 72,763 ha | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 76,000 ha | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 75,787 ha | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 79,100 ha | +4.4% |
| 2024 | 80,100 ha | +1.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 80,100 ha is below the median for low income countries, which is 114,310 ha, 70% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 80,100 ha is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 88,500 ha, 91% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rice — Area harvested in Malawi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | +171.7% | 6,000 ha | 16,300 ha |
| 1993 | +112.8% | 18,241 ha | 38,824 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10,390 ha | 4,451 ha | 16,300 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 39,760 ha | 19,600 ha | 47,000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 24,055 ha | 19,076 ha | 42,000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 34,855 ha | 18,241 ha | 45,779 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 53,286 ha | 42,568 ha | 63,967 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 63,233 ha | 53,676 ha | 70,573 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 76,750 ha | 72,763 ha | 80,100 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rice — area harvested in Malawi?
- Rice — area harvested in Malawi was 80,100 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest rice — area harvested recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 80,100 ha in 2024.
- What is the lowest rice — area harvested recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,451 ha in 1963.
- How does Malawi rank for rice — area harvested?
- Malawi ranks 54th out of 133 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rice — area harvested rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Rice — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.