Yams — Area harvested in Nigeria
Nigeria: Yams — Area harvested was 8.02 million ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Yams — Area harvested in Nigeria, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 8.02 million ha for yams — area harvested in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 5.3% on the previous year and up 50.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, yams — area harvested in Nigeria peaked at 8.02 million ha in 2024 and was at its lowest, 450,000 ha, in 1961.
That places Nigeria 1st out of 61 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Yams — Area harvested in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 450,000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 450,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 550,000 ha | +22.2% |
| 1964 | 600,000 ha | +9.1% |
| 1965 | 700,000 ha | +16.7% |
| 1966 | 742,000 ha | +6.0% |
| 1967 | 771,000 ha | +3.9% |
| 1968 | 1.07 million ha | +38.5% |
| 1969 | 1.04 million ha | -2.3% |
| 1970 | 1.24 million ha | +18.6% |
| 1971 | 1.24 million ha | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 932,000 ha | -24.6% |
| 1973 | 948,000 ha | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 671,000 ha | -29.2% |
| 1975 | 776,000 ha | +15.6% |
| 1976 | 679,000 ha | -12.5% |
| 1977 | 577,000 ha | -15.0% |
| 1978 | 471,000 ha | -18.4% |
| 1979 | 481,000 ha | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 498,000 ha | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 926,000 ha | +85.9% |
| 1982 | 956,000 ha | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 888,000 ha | -7.1% |
| 1984 | 816,000 ha | -8.1% |
| 1985 | 840,000 ha | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 924,000 ha | +10.0% |
| 1987 | 751,000 ha | -18.7% |
| 1988 | 935,000 ha | +24.5% |
| 1989 | 921,000 ha | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 1.28 million ha | +38.5% |
| 1991 | 1.64 million ha | +28.4% |
| 1992 | 1.74 million ha | +6.3% |
| 1993 | 1.91 million ha | +9.4% |
| 1994 | 2.03 million ha | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 2.12 million ha | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 2.17 million ha | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 2.17 million ha | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 2.62 million ha | +21.0% |
| 1999 | 2.61 million ha | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 2.65 million ha | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 2.68 million ha | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 2.79 million ha | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 2.83 million ha | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 2.84 million ha | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 2.96 million ha | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 3.04 million ha | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 3.12 million ha | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 3.04 million ha | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 2.78 million ha | -8.8% |
| 2010 | 2.87 million ha | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 4.48 million ha | +56.0% |
| 2012 | 4.49 million ha | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 5.09 million ha | +13.4% |
| 2014 | 5.33 million ha | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 5.39 million ha | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 5.35 million ha | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 5.28 million ha | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 5.43 million ha | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 6.78 million ha | +24.9% |
| 2020 | 7.13 million ha | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 7.50 million ha | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 7.47 million ha | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 7.61 million ha | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 8.02 million ha | +5.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 8.02 million ha is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6,684 ha, 1199.3× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 8.02 million ha is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7,822 ha, 1024.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Yams — Area harvested in Nigeria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +85.9% | 498,000 ha | 926,000 ha |
| 2011 | +56.0% | 2.87 million ha | 4.48 million ha |
| 1968 | +38.5% | 771,000 ha | 1.07 million ha |
| 1990 | +38.5% | 921,000 ha | 1.28 million ha |
| 1974 | -29.2% | 948,000 ha | 671,000 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 708,222 ha | 450,000 ha | 1.07 million ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 800,800 ha | 471,000 ha | 1.24 million ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 845,500 ha | 498,000 ha | 956,000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.03 million ha | 1.28 million ha | 2.62 million ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.87 million ha | 2.65 million ha | 3.12 million ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.05 million ha | 2.87 million ha | 6.78 million ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.54 million ha | 7.13 million ha | 8.02 million ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is yams — area harvested in Nigeria?
- Yams — area harvested in Nigeria was 8.02 million ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest yams — area harvested recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.02 million ha in 2024.
- What is the lowest yams — area harvested recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 450,000 ha in 1961.
- How does Nigeria rank for yams — area harvested?
- Nigeria ranks 1st out of 61 countries with data for 2024.
- Is yams — area harvested rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Yams — 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.