Sesame seed — Area harvested in China
China: Sesame seed — Area harvested was 251,800 ha in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sesame seed — Area harvested in China, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
In 2024, sesame seed — area harvested in China stood at 251,800 ha.
The figure is down 10.6% on the previous year and down 41.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sesame seed — area harvested in China peaked at 1.05 million ha in 1985 and was at its lowest, 231,151 ha, in 2017.
China ranks 13th of 72 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Sesame seed — Area harvested in China, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 663,845 ha | — |
| 1962 | 723,410 ha | +9.0% |
| 1963 | 831,684 ha | +15.0% |
| 1964 | 798,200 ha | -4.0% |
| 1965 | 668,846 ha | -16.2% |
| 1966 | 684,997 ha | +2.4% |
| 1967 | 665,111 ha | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 626,600 ha | -5.8% |
| 1969 | 604,065 ha | -3.6% |
| 1970 | 557,953 ha | -7.6% |
| 1971 | 594,474 ha | +6.5% |
| 1972 | 602,199 ha | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 583,895 ha | -3.0% |
| 1974 | 537,973 ha | -7.9% |
| 1975 | 535,066 ha | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 562,885 ha | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 557,864 ha | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 639,700 ha | +14.7% |
| 1979 | 845,304 ha | +32.1% |
| 1980 | 776,763 ha | -8.1% |
| 1981 | 818,926 ha | +5.4% |
| 1982 | 966,045 ha | +18.0% |
| 1983 | 789,164 ha | -18.3% |
| 1984 | 858,668 ha | +8.8% |
| 1985 | 1.05 million ha | +22.6% |
| 1986 | 1.01 million ha | -4.3% |
| 1987 | 869,977 ha | -13.7% |
| 1988 | 703,794 ha | -19.1% |
| 1989 | 723,209 ha | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 669,388 ha | -7.4% |
| 1991 | 679,872 ha | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 746,790 ha | +9.8% |
| 1993 | 754,157 ha | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 690,516 ha | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 642,666 ha | -6.9% |
| 1996 | 594,223 ha | -7.5% |
| 1997 | 566,756 ha | -4.6% |
| 1998 | 630,872 ha | +11.3% |
| 1999 | 697,838 ha | +10.6% |
| 2000 | 785,433 ha | +12.6% |
| 2001 | 759,188 ha | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 759,476 ha | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 688,059 ha | -9.4% |
| 2004 | 624,987 ha | -9.2% |
| 2005 | 594,228 ha | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 569,720 ha | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 486,580 ha | -14.6% |
| 2008 | 472,620 ha | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 476,909 ha | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 448,431 ha | -6.0% |
| 2011 | 438,225 ha | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 437,811 ha | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 420,154 ha | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 431,224 ha | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 424,012 ha | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 247,964 ha | -41.5% |
| 2017 | 231,151 ha | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 264,351 ha | +14.4% |
| 2019 | 285,082 ha | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 294,439 ha | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 287,514 ha | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 270,838 ha | -5.8% |
| 2023 | 281,523 ha | +3.9% |
| 2024 | 251,800 ha | -10.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 251,800 ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3,676 ha, 68.5× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- China's 251,800 ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 45,000 ha, 5.6× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 696,306 ha | 604,065 ha | 831,684 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 601,731 ha | 535,066 ha | 845,304 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 856,717 ha | 703,794 ha | 1.05 million ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 667,308 ha | 566,756 ha | 754,157 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 621,720 ha | 472,620 ha | 785,433 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 362,840 ha | 231,151 ha | 448,431 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 277,223 ha | 251,800 ha | 294,439 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 10 Burkina Faso 427,819 ha compare
- 10 Syrian Arab Republic 16,087 ha compare
- 11 Mozambique 355,517 ha compare
- 12 Democratic Republic of the Congo 10,740 ha compare
- 12 Nigeria 350,000 ha compare
- 13 Lao People's Democratic Republic 6,110 ha compare
- 14 China, mainland 250,000 ha compare
- 15 Niger 248,962 ha compare
- 16 Uganda 215,000 ha compare
- 16 Caribbean 15,794 ha compare
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sesame seed — area harvested in China?
- Sesame seed — area harvested in China was 251,800 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest sesame seed — area harvested recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.05 million ha in 1985.
- What is the lowest sesame seed — area harvested recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 231,151 ha in 2017.
- How does China rank for sesame seed — area harvested?
- China ranks 13th out of 72 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sesame seed — area harvested rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Sesame seed — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.