Sorghum yield in Malawi
Malawi: Sorghum yield was 818.4 kg per hectare in 2011. ▼ Falling
Latest (2011)
818.4 kg per hectare
Change on year
up 34.3%
World rank
22nd
of 41 countries
All-time high
923.1 kg per hectare
in 1977
All-time low
143 kg per hectare
in 1992
Years of data
51
1961–2011
Sorghum yield in Malawi, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in kg per hectare.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 818.4 kg per hectare for sorghum yield in 2011.
The figure is up 34.3% on the previous year and up 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sorghum yield in Malawi peaked at 923.1 kg per hectare in 1977 and was at its lowest, 143 kg per hectare, in 1992.
That places Malawi 22nd out of 41 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Sorghum yield in Malawi, year by year
| Year | kg per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 615.4 kg per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 642.9 kg per hectare | +4.5% |
| 1963 | 649.4 kg per hectare | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 654.8 kg per hectare | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 654.8 kg per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 652.2 kg per hectare | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 652.2 kg per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 736.8 kg per hectare | +13.0% |
| 1969 | 700 kg per hectare | -5.0% |
| 1970 | 717 kg per hectare | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 766.7 kg per hectare | +6.9% |
| 1972 | 825 kg per hectare | +7.6% |
| 1973 | 801.3 kg per hectare | -2.9% |
| 1974 | 833.3 kg per hectare | +4.0% |
| 1975 | 833.3 kg per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 875 kg per hectare | +5.0% |
| 1977 | 923.1 kg per hectare | +5.5% |
| 1978 | 666.7 kg per hectare | -27.8% |
| 1979 | 666.7 kg per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 666.7 kg per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 666.7 kg per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 666.7 kg per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 301.6 kg per hectare | -54.8% |
| 1984 | 669.9 kg per hectare | +122.1% |
| 1985 | 673.5 kg per hectare | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 647.6 kg per hectare | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 474.8 kg per hectare | -26.7% |
| 1988 | 723.5 kg per hectare | +52.4% |
| 1989 | 672.2 kg per hectare | -7.1% |
| 1990 | 501.5 kg per hectare | -25.4% |
| 1991 | 597.9 kg per hectare | +19.2% |
| 1992 | 143 kg per hectare | -76.1% |
| 1993 | 492.1 kg per hectare | +244.1% |
| 1994 | 305.9 kg per hectare | -37.8% |
| 1995 | 726.1 kg per hectare | +137.4% |
| 1996 | 719.6 kg per hectare | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 471.2 kg per hectare | -34.5% |
| 1998 | 610.5 kg per hectare | +29.6% |
| 1999 | 698 kg per hectare | +14.3% |
| 2000 | 668.7 kg per hectare | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 680.4 kg per hectare | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 719.7 kg per hectare | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 762 kg per hectare | +5.9% |
| 2004 | 644.6 kg per hectare | -15.4% |
| 2005 | 265.6 kg per hectare | -58.8% |
| 2006 | 768.8 kg per hectare | +189.5% |
| 2007 | 859.3 kg per hectare | +11.8% |
| 2008 | 831.4 kg per hectare | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 796.8 kg per hectare | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 609.4 kg per hectare | -23.5% |
| 2011 | 818.4 kg per hectare | +34.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 818.4 kg per hectare is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 820 kg per hectare, 100% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 818.4 kg per hectare is below the median for low income countries, which is 820 kg per hectare, 100% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sorghum yield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +244.1% | 143 kg per hectare | 492.1 kg per hectare |
| 2006 | +189.5% | 265.6 kg per hectare | 768.8 kg per hectare |
| 1995 | +137.4% | 305.9 kg per hectare | 726.1 kg per hectare |
| 1984 | +122.1% | 301.6 kg per hectare | 669.9 kg per hectare |
| 1992 | -76.1% | 597.9 kg per hectare | 143 kg per hectare |
| 2005 | -58.8% | 644.6 kg per hectare | 265.6 kg per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 662.06 kg per hectare | 615.4 kg per hectare | 736.8 kg per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 790.81 kg per hectare | 666.7 kg per hectare | 923.1 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 616.32 kg per hectare | 301.6 kg per hectare | 723.5 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 526.58 kg per hectare | 143 kg per hectare | 726.1 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 699.73 kg per hectare | 265.6 kg per hectare | 859.3 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 713.9 kg per hectare | 609.4 kg per hectare | 818.4 kg per hectare | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 19 Democratic Republic of Congo 870.7 kg per hectare compare
- 20 Guinea-Bissau 829.2 kg per hectare compare
- 21 Chad 820 kg per hectare compare
- 23 Mozambique 787.1 kg per hectare compare
- 24 Morocco 714.3 kg per hectare compare
- 25 Mali 706.7 kg per hectare compare
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 sorghum yield in Malawi?
- Sorghum yield in Malawi was 818.4 kg per hectare in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest sorghum yield recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 923.1 kg per hectare in 1977.
- What is the lowest sorghum yield recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 143 kg per hectare in 1992.
- How does Malawi rank for sorghum yield?
- Malawi ranks 22nd out of 41 countries with data for 2011.
- Is sorghum yield rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Sorghum yield (kg per hectare). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Sorghum yield, measured as kilograms per hectare of harvested land. Production data on relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Crop harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.