Sorghum yields in Botswana
Botswana: Sorghum yields was 1.32 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.32 tonnes per hectare
Change on year
down 14.6%
World rank
61st
of 115 countries
All-time high
2.4 tonnes per hectare
in 2022
All-time low
0.0583 tonnes per hectare
in 1970
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Sorghum yields in Botswana, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per hectare.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 1.32 tonnes per hectare for sorghum yields in 2024.
The figure is down 14.6% on the previous year and up 364.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sorghum yields in Botswana peaked at 2.4 tonnes per hectare in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.0583 tonnes per hectare, in 1970.
That places Botswana 61st out of 115 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 yields in Botswana, year by year
| Year | tonnes per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.3389 tonnes per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 0.25 tonnes per hectare | -26.2% |
| 1963 | 0.3 tonnes per hectare | +20.0% |
| 1964 | 0.25 tonnes per hectare | -16.7% |
| 1965 | 0.3462 tonnes per hectare | +38.5% |
| 1966 | 0.36 tonnes per hectare | +4.0% |
| 1967 | 0.3231 tonnes per hectare | -10.2% |
| 1968 | 0.1814 tonnes per hectare | -43.9% |
| 1969 | 0.2853 tonnes per hectare | +57.3% |
| 1970 | 0.0583 tonnes per hectare | -79.6% |
| 1971 | 0.4554 tonnes per hectare | +681.1% |
| 1972 | 1.07 tonnes per hectare | +133.9% |
| 1973 | 0.1585 tonnes per hectare | -85.1% |
| 1974 | 0.9038 tonnes per hectare | +470.2% |
| 1975 | 0.338 tonnes per hectare | -62.6% |
| 1976 | 0.5554 tonnes per hectare | +64.3% |
| 1977 | 0.33 tonnes per hectare | -40.6% |
| 1978 | 0.2214 tonnes per hectare | -32.9% |
| 1979 | 0.1017 tonnes per hectare | -54.1% |
| 1980 | 0.2232 tonnes per hectare | +119.5% |
| 1981 | 0.2312 tonnes per hectare | +3.6% |
| 1982 | 0.1038 tonnes per hectare | -55.1% |
| 1983 | 0.1504 tonnes per hectare | +44.9% |
| 1984 | 0.1165 tonnes per hectare | -22.5% |
| 1985 | 0.1783 tonnes per hectare | +53.0% |
| 1986 | 0.1649 tonnes per hectare | -7.5% |
| 1987 | 0.1583 tonnes per hectare | -4.0% |
| 1988 | 0.387 tonnes per hectare | +144.5% |
| 1989 | 0.2631 tonnes per hectare | -32.0% |
| 1990 | 0.25 tonnes per hectare | -5.0% |
| 1991 | 0.3663 tonnes per hectare | +46.5% |
| 1992 | 0.2909 tonnes per hectare | -20.6% |
| 1993 | 0.5236 tonnes per hectare | +80.0% |
| 1994 | 0.2182 tonnes per hectare | -58.3% |
| 1995 | 0.3597 tonnes per hectare | +64.8% |
| 1996 | 0.3592 tonnes per hectare | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 0.2455 tonnes per hectare | -31.7% |
| 1998 | 0.3364 tonnes per hectare | +37.0% |
| 1999 | 0.2669 tonnes per hectare | -20.7% |
| 2000 | 0.3582 tonnes per hectare | +34.2% |
| 2001 | 0.3786 tonnes per hectare | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 0.4218 tonnes per hectare | +11.4% |
| 2003 | 0.4004 tonnes per hectare | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 0.3343 tonnes per hectare | -16.5% |
| 2005 | 0.4211 tonnes per hectare | +26.0% |
| 2006 | 0.5024 tonnes per hectare | +19.3% |
| 2007 | 0.4682 tonnes per hectare | -6.8% |
| 2008 | 0.5507 tonnes per hectare | +17.6% |
| 2009 | 0.5042 tonnes per hectare | -8.4% |
| 2010 | 0.5701 tonnes per hectare | +13.1% |
| 2011 | 0.669 tonnes per hectare | +17.3% |
| 2012 | 0.6779 tonnes per hectare | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.3168 tonnes per hectare | -53.3% |
| 2014 | 0.2851 tonnes per hectare | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 0.4184 tonnes per hectare | +46.8% |
| 2016 | 0.4252 tonnes per hectare | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 0.3619 tonnes per hectare | -14.9% |
| 2018 | 0.4323 tonnes per hectare | +19.5% |
| 2019 | 0.4314 tonnes per hectare | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.9304 tonnes per hectare | +115.7% |
| 2021 | 1.71 tonnes per hectare | +83.9% |
| 2022 | 2.4 tonnes per hectare | +40.2% |
| 2023 | 1.55 tonnes per hectare | -35.4% |
| 2024 | 1.32 tonnes per hectare | -14.6% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 1.32 tonnes per hectare is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.37 tonnes per hectare, 56% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 1.32 tonnes per hectare is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.9424 tonnes per hectare, 1.4× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sorghum yields in Botswana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +681.1% | 0.0583 tonnes per hectare | 0.4554 tonnes per hectare |
| 1974 | +470.2% | 0.1585 tonnes per hectare | 0.9038 tonnes per hectare |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2928 tonnes per hectare | 0.1814 tonnes per hectare | 0.36 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.4188 tonnes per hectare | 0.0583 tonnes per hectare | 1.07 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1977 tonnes per hectare | 0.1038 tonnes per hectare | 0.387 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3217 tonnes per hectare | 0.2182 tonnes per hectare | 0.5236 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.434 tonnes per hectare | 0.3343 tonnes per hectare | 0.5507 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4588 tonnes per hectare | 0.2851 tonnes per hectare | 0.6779 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.58 tonnes per hectare | 0.9304 tonnes per hectare | 2.4 tonnes per hectare | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 58 Nicaragua 1.5 tonnes per hectare compare
- 59 Guinea 1.44 tonnes per hectare compare
- 60 Dominican Republic 1.41 tonnes per hectare compare
- 62 North Korea 1.32 tonnes per hectare compare
- 63 Benin 1.32 tonnes per hectare compare
- 64 Bangladesh 1.27 tonnes per hectare compare
More agriculture & rural data for Botswana
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0178 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 138.54 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0839 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3204 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sorghum yields in Botswana?
- Sorghum yields in Botswana was 1.32 tonnes per hectare in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest sorghum yields recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 2.4 tonnes per hectare in 2022.
- What is the lowest sorghum yields recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0583 tonnes per hectare in 1970.
- How does Botswana rank for sorghum yields?
- Botswana ranks 61st out of 115 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sorghum yields rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 364.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Sorghum yields. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Yield is the amount produced per unit of land used, measured in tonnes per hectare.