Sweet potatoes — Area harvested in Zambia
Zambia: Sweet potatoes — Area harvested was 29,784 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Sweet potatoes — Area harvested in Zambia, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
In 2024, sweet potatoes — area harvested in Zambia stood at 29,784 ha.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 69.0% on the previous year and down 34.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sweet potatoes — area harvested in Zambia peaked at 96,150 ha in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2,000 ha, in 1961.
Zambia ranks 28th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sweet potatoes — Area harvested in Zambia, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2,000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 2,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 2,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 2,100 ha | +5.0% |
| 1965 | 2,100 ha | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 2,200 ha | +4.8% |
| 1967 | 2,300 ha | +4.5% |
| 1968 | 2,300 ha | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 2,400 ha | +4.3% |
| 1970 | 2,400 ha | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 2,400 ha | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 2,600 ha | +8.3% |
| 1973 | 2,600 ha | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 2,600 ha | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 2,600 ha | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 2,700 ha | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 2,700 ha | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 2,700 ha | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 2,800 ha | +3.7% |
| 1980 | 2,800 ha | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 2,800 ha | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 2,900 ha | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 3,000 ha | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 3,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 3,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 3,150 ha | +5.0% |
| 1987 | 3,250 ha | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 3,400 ha | +4.6% |
| 1989 | 5,000 ha | +47.1% |
| 1990 | 10,000 ha | +100.0% |
| 1991 | 13,000 ha | +30.0% |
| 1992 | 15,000 ha | +15.4% |
| 1993 | 18,000 ha | +20.0% |
| 1994 | 20,000 ha | +11.1% |
| 1995 | 24,000 ha | +20.0% |
| 1996 | 27,000 ha | +12.5% |
| 1997 | 30,000 ha | +11.1% |
| 1998 | 33,000 ha | +10.0% |
| 1999 | 37,000 ha | +12.1% |
| 2000 | 39,356 ha | +6.4% |
| 2001 | 74,063 ha | +88.2% |
| 2002 | 29,720 ha | -59.9% |
| 2003 | 32,464 ha | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 28,160 ha | -13.3% |
| 2005 | 22,437 ha | -20.3% |
| 2006 | 32,127 ha | +43.2% |
| 2007 | 27,314 ha | -15.0% |
| 2008 | 29,827 ha | +9.2% |
| 2009 | 60,638 ha | +103.3% |
| 2010 | 68,993 ha | +13.8% |
| 2011 | 43,211 ha | -37.4% |
| 2012 | 41,725 ha | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 46,420 ha | +11.3% |
| 2014 | 45,677 ha | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 33,766 ha | -26.1% |
| 2016 | 66,958 ha | +98.3% |
| 2017 | 54,287 ha | -18.9% |
| 2018 | 58,059 ha | +6.9% |
| 2019 | 27,341 ha | -52.9% |
| 2020 | 51,803 ha | +89.5% |
| 2021 | 66,471 ha | +28.3% |
| 2022 | 44,626 ha | -32.9% |
| 2023 | 96,150 ha | +115.5% |
| 2024 | 29,784 ha | -69.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 29,784 ha is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,882 ha, 3.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 29,784 ha is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28,960 ha, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sweet potatoes — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +115.5% | 44,626 ha | 96,150 ha |
| 2009 | +103.3% | 29,827 ha | 60,638 ha |
| 1990 | +100.0% | 5,000 ha | 10,000 ha |
| 2016 | +98.3% | 33,766 ha | 66,958 ha |
| 2020 | +89.5% | 27,341 ha | 51,803 ha |
| 2001 | +88.2% | 39,356 ha | 74,063 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,156 ha | 2,000 ha | 2,400 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 2,610 ha | 2,400 ha | 2,800 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,230 ha | 2,800 ha | 5,000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 22,700 ha | 10,000 ha | 37,000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 37,611 ha | 22,437 ha | 74,063 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 48,644 ha | 27,341 ha | 68,993 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 57,767 ha | 29,784 ha | 96,150 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 25 Cabo Verde 163 ha compare
- 25 Cuba 36,422 ha compare
- 26 Japan 31,800 ha compare
- 27 Sierra Leone 31,045 ha compare
- 29 Zimbabwe 28,137 ha compare
- 30 Bangladesh 27,953 ha compare
- 31 South Africa 27,285 ha compare
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 sweet potatoes — area harvested in Zambia?
- Sweet potatoes — area harvested in Zambia was 29,784 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest sweet potatoes — area harvested recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 96,150 ha in 2023.
- What is the lowest sweet potatoes — area harvested recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,000 ha in 1961.
- How does Zambia rank for sweet potatoes — area harvested?
- Zambia ranks 28th out of 113 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sweet potatoes — area harvested rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.8%. 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 Sweet potatoes — 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.