Sorghum — Area harvested in Zambia
Zambia: Sorghum — Area harvested was 4,524 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Sorghum — Area harvested in Zambia, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sorghum — area harvested in Zambia is 4,524 ha, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 67.1% on the previous year and down 67.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sorghum — area harvested in Zambia peaked at 100,000 ha in 1975 and was at its lowest, 4,524 ha, in 2024.
That places Zambia 73rd out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sorghum — Area harvested in Zambia, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 67,000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 68,000 ha | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 69,000 ha | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 70,000 ha | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 70,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 72,000 ha | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 73,000 ha | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 73,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 75,000 ha | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 75,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 77,497 ha | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 75,000 ha | -3.2% |
| 1973 | 70,000 ha | -6.7% |
| 1974 | 60,000 ha | -14.3% |
| 1975 | 100,000 ha | +66.7% |
| 1976 | 65,000 ha | -35.0% |
| 1977 | 65,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 65,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 40,000 ha | -38.5% |
| 1980 | 30,000 ha | -25.0% |
| 1981 | 21,500 ha | -28.3% |
| 1982 | 21,450 ha | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 16,570 ha | -22.8% |
| 1984 | 21,780 ha | +31.4% |
| 1985 | 24,811 ha | +13.9% |
| 1986 | 59,550 ha | +140.0% |
| 1987 | 47,484 ha | -20.3% |
| 1988 | 47,448 ha | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 52,008 ha | +9.6% |
| 1990 | 48,465 ha | -6.8% |
| 1991 | 31,790 ha | -34.4% |
| 1992 | 40,323 ha | +26.8% |
| 1993 | 46,563 ha | +15.5% |
| 1994 | 55,245 ha | +18.6% |
| 1995 | 40,365 ha | -26.9% |
| 1996 | 47,839 ha | +18.5% |
| 1997 | 44,684 ha | -6.6% |
| 1998 | 35,864 ha | -19.7% |
| 1999 | 36,657 ha | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 39,281 ha | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 21,782 ha | -44.5% |
| 2002 | 21,782 ha | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 30,335 ha | +39.3% |
| 2004 | 42,203 ha | +39.1% |
| 2005 | 21,791 ha | -48.4% |
| 2006 | 32,023 ha | +47.0% |
| 2007 | 19,427 ha | -39.3% |
| 2008 | 33,537 ha | +72.6% |
| 2009 | 32,212 ha | -4.0% |
| 2010 | 28,908 ha | -10.3% |
| 2011 | 22,446 ha | -22.4% |
| 2012 | 15,714 ha | -30.0% |
| 2013 | 15,611 ha | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 14,035 ha | -10.1% |
| 2015 | 10,099 ha | -28.0% |
| 2016 | 26,673 ha | +164.1% |
| 2017 | 27,469 ha | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 20,159 ha | -26.6% |
| 2019 | 8,309 ha | -58.8% |
| 2020 | 35,222 ha | +323.9% |
| 2021 | 31,877 ha | -9.5% |
| 2022 | 20,460 ha | -35.8% |
| 2023 | 13,749 ha | -32.8% |
| 2024 | 4,524 ha | -67.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 4,524 ha is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28,421 ha, 16% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 4,524 ha is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 225,850 ha, 2% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sorghum — Area harvested in Zambia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +323.9% | 8,309 ha | 35,222 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 70,778 ha | 67,000 ha | 75,000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 69,250 ha | 40,000 ha | 100,000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 34,260 ha | 16,570 ha | 59,550 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 42,780 ha | 31,790 ha | 55,245 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 29,437 ha | 19,427 ha | 42,203 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 18,942 ha | 8,309 ha | 28,908 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 21,166 ha | 4,524 ha | 35,222 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 sorghum — area harvested in Zambia?
- Sorghum — area harvested in Zambia was 4,524 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest sorghum — area harvested recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 100,000 ha in 1975.
- What is the lowest sorghum — area harvested recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,524 ha in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for sorghum — area harvested?
- Zambia ranks 73rd out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sorghum — area harvested rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.8%. 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 Sorghum — 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.