Rice — Area harvested in Zambia
Zambia: Rice — Area harvested was 23,162 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Rice — Area harvested in Zambia, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 23,162 ha for rice — area harvested in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 53.1% on the previous year and down 30.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rice — area harvested in Zambia peaked at 49,414 ha in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 ha, in 1961.
Zambia ranks 71st 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 ha | — |
| 1962 | 0 ha | — |
| 1963 | 0 ha | — |
| 1964 | 0 ha | — |
| 1965 | 0 ha | — |
| 1966 | 0 ha | — |
| 1967 | 0 ha | — |
| 1968 | 486 ha | — |
| 1969 | 1,012 ha | +108.2% |
| 1970 | 1,113 ha | +10.0% |
| 1971 | 850 ha | -23.6% |
| 1972 | 710 ha | -16.5% |
| 1973 | 900 ha | +26.8% |
| 1974 | 1,066 ha | +18.4% |
| 1975 | 1,690 ha | +58.5% |
| 1976 | 2,236 ha | +32.3% |
| 1977 | 2,200 ha | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 3,800 ha | +72.7% |
| 1979 | 3,100 ha | -18.4% |
| 1980 | 5,100 ha | +64.5% |
| 1981 | 5,362 ha | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 5,920 ha | +10.4% |
| 1983 | 7,014 ha | +18.5% |
| 1984 | 8,740 ha | +24.6% |
| 1985 | 10,701 ha | +22.4% |
| 1986 | 10,404 ha | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 8,689 ha | -16.5% |
| 1988 | 10,593 ha | +21.9% |
| 1989 | 12,811 ha | +20.9% |
| 1990 | 9,533 ha | -25.6% |
| 1991 | 13,450 ha | +41.1% |
| 1992 | 14,369 ha | +6.8% |
| 1993 | 13,802 ha | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 7,177 ha | -48.0% |
| 1995 | 9,746 ha | +35.8% |
| 1996 | 9,888 ha | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 12,412 ha | +25.5% |
| 1998 | 9,065 ha | -27.0% |
| 1999 | 16,121 ha | +77.8% |
| 2000 | 12,297 ha | -23.7% |
| 2001 | 9,270 ha | -24.6% |
| 2002 | 9,268 ha | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 7,452 ha | -19.6% |
| 2004 | 9,684 ha | +30.0% |
| 2005 | 10,368 ha | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 14,358 ha | +38.5% |
| 2007 | 12,110 ha | -15.7% |
| 2008 | 17,367 ha | +43.4% |
| 2009 | 25,582 ha | +47.3% |
| 2010 | 30,788 ha | +20.4% |
| 2011 | 27,490 ha | -10.7% |
| 2012 | 26,265 ha | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 31,621 ha | +20.4% |
| 2014 | 33,207 ha | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 17,907 ha | -46.1% |
| 2016 | 22,087 ha | +23.3% |
| 2017 | 29,575 ha | +33.9% |
| 2018 | 30,297 ha | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 24,576 ha | -18.9% |
| 2020 | 24,756 ha | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 44,233 ha | +78.7% |
| 2022 | 39,581 ha | -10.5% |
| 2023 | 49,414 ha | +24.8% |
| 2024 | 23,162 ha | -53.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 23,162 ha is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67,206 ha, 34% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 23,162 ha is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 88,500 ha, 26% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 166.44 ha | 0 ha | 1,012 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,766 ha | 710 ha | 3,800 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 8,533 ha | 5,100 ha | 12,811 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 11,556 ha | 7,177 ha | 16,121 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,776 ha | 7,452 ha | 25,582 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 27,381 ha | 17,907 ha | 33,207 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 36,229 ha | 23,162 ha | 49,414 ha | 5 |
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 rice — area harvested in Zambia?
- Rice — area harvested in Zambia was 23,162 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest rice — area harvested recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 49,414 ha in 2023.
- What is the lowest rice — area harvested recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 ha in 1961.
- How does Zambia rank for rice — area harvested?
- Zambia ranks 71st out of 133 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rice — area harvested rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.