Sweet potatoes — Area harvested in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Sweet potatoes — Area harvested was 4,479 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Sweet potatoes — Area harvested in Sri Lanka, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
In 2024, sweet potatoes — area harvested in Sri Lanka stood at 4,479 ha.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sweet potatoes — area harvested in Sri Lanka peaked at 48,218 ha in 1975 and was at its lowest, 3,255 ha, in 2019.
Sri Lanka ranks 51st of 113 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.
Sweet potatoes — Area harvested in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 11,343 ha | — |
| 1962 | 9,828 ha | -13.4% |
| 1963 | 16,321 ha | +66.1% |
| 1964 | 14,114 ha | -13.5% |
| 1965 | 13,930 ha | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 14,798 ha | +6.2% |
| 1967 | 19,299 ha | +30.4% |
| 1968 | 20,097 ha | +4.1% |
| 1969 | 18,995 ha | -5.5% |
| 1970 | 15,844 ha | -16.6% |
| 1971 | 14,882 ha | -6.1% |
| 1972 | 14,535 ha | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 26,958 ha | +85.5% |
| 1974 | 40,820 ha | +51.4% |
| 1975 | 48,218 ha | +18.1% |
| 1976 | 45,547 ha | -5.5% |
| 1977 | 27,746 ha | -39.1% |
| 1978 | 20,689 ha | -25.4% |
| 1979 | 16,340 ha | -21.0% |
| 1980 | 14,312 ha | -12.4% |
| 1981 | 16,670 ha | +16.5% |
| 1982 | 16,276 ha | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 14,410 ha | -11.5% |
| 1984 | 16,370 ha | +13.6% |
| 1985 | 14,770 ha | -9.8% |
| 1986 | 13,148 ha | -11.0% |
| 1987 | 12,676 ha | -3.6% |
| 1988 | 12,660 ha | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 12,320 ha | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 11,810 ha | -4.1% |
| 1991 | 11,329 ha | -4.1% |
| 1992 | 9,931 ha | -12.3% |
| 1993 | 8,210 ha | -17.3% |
| 1994 | 9,053 ha | +10.3% |
| 1995 | 9,125 ha | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 9,034 ha | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 8,965 ha | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 8,656 ha | -3.4% |
| 1999 | 8,380 ha | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 8,260 ha | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 7,850 ha | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 7,700 ha | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 7,570 ha | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 6,420 ha | -15.2% |
| 2005 | 6,620 ha | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 6,650 ha | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 6,530 ha | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 6,470 ha | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 6,000 ha | -7.3% |
| 2010 | 5,880 ha | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 5,790 ha | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 5,530 ha | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 5,740 ha | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 5,542 ha | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 4,850 ha | -12.5% |
| 2016 | 4,487 ha | -7.5% |
| 2017 | 3,786 ha | -15.6% |
| 2018 | 4,099 ha | +8.3% |
| 2019 | 3,255 ha | -20.6% |
| 2020 | 4,065 ha | +24.9% |
| 2021 | 4,017 ha | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 4,109 ha | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 4,472 ha | +8.8% |
| 2024 | 4,479 ha | +0.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 4,479 ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,598 ha, 1.7× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 4,479 ha is above the median for South Asia, which is 4,479 ha, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sweet potatoes — Area harvested in Sri Lanka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | +85.5% | 14,535 ha | 26,958 ha |
| 1963 | +66.1% | 9,828 ha | 16,321 ha |
| 1974 | +51.4% | 26,958 ha | 40,820 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15,414 ha | 9,828 ha | 20,097 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 27,158 ha | 14,535 ha | 48,218 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 14,361 ha | 12,320 ha | 16,670 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 9,449 ha | 8,210 ha | 11,810 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 7,007 ha | 6,000 ha | 8,260 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,896 ha | 3,255 ha | 5,880 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,228 ha | 4,017 ha | 4,479 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sweet potatoes — area harvested in Sri Lanka?
- Sweet potatoes — area harvested in Sri Lanka was 4,479 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest sweet potatoes — area harvested recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 48,218 ha in 1975.
- What is the lowest sweet potatoes — area harvested recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,255 ha in 2019.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for sweet potatoes — area harvested?
- Sri Lanka ranks 51st out of 113 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sweet potatoes — area harvested rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Sweet potatoes — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.