Sugar cane production in Malawi
Malawi: Sugar cane production was 2.97 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.97 million tonnes
Change on year
up 12.0%
World rank
38th
of 110 countries
All-time high
3.26 million tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Sugar cane production in Malawi, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, sugar cane production in Malawi stood at 2.97 million tonnes.
That represents a change of up 12.0% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sugar cane production in Malawi peaked at 3.26 million tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1961.
That places Malawi 38th out of 110 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.
Sugar cane production in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1963 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1964 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1965 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1966 | 34,000 tonnes | — |
| 1967 | 171,800 tonnes | +405.3% |
| 1968 | 212,200 tonnes | +23.5% |
| 1969 | 312,070 tonnes | +47.1% |
| 1970 | 288,483 tonnes | -7.6% |
| 1971 | 288,483 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 318,420 tonnes | +10.4% |
| 1973 | 525,200 tonnes | +64.9% |
| 1974 | 505,000 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1975 | 700,000 tonnes | +38.6% |
| 1976 | 950,000 tonnes | +35.7% |
| 1977 | 960,000 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 980,000 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 1.10 million tonnes | +12.2% |
| 1980 | 1.48 million tonnes | +34.5% |
| 1981 | 1.70 million tonnes | +14.9% |
| 1982 | 1.83 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1983 | 1.80 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 1.54 million tonnes | -14.2% |
| 1985 | 1.50 million tonnes | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 1.60 million tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1987 | 1.65 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 1.70 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 1.68 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 1.79 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1991 | 1.90 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1992 | 1.90 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.10 million tonnes | -42.1% |
| 1994 | 1.90 million tonnes | +72.7% |
| 1995 | 1.90 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.86 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 1.75 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1998 | 1.90 million tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1999 | 2.00 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2000 | 2.10 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2001 | 2.20 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 2.60 million tonnes | +18.2% |
| 2003 | 2.10 million tonnes | -19.2% |
| 2004 | 2.10 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 2.40 million tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2006 | 2.45 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 2.50 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 2.75 million tonnes | +10.0% |
| 2009 | 2.60 million tonnes | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 2.70 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 2.70 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3.10 million tonnes | +14.8% |
| 2013 | 3.20 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 3.26 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 3.22 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 3.00 million tonnes | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 2.75 million tonnes | -8.2% |
| 2018 | 2.90 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2019 | 2.88 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 2.96 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 2.97 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 2.90 million tonnes | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 2.65 million tonnes | -8.6% |
| 2024 | 2.97 million tonnes | +12.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2.97 million tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 307,701 tonnes, 9.6× the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2.97 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 934,836 tonnes, 3.2× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sugar cane production 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +405.3% | 34,000 tonnes | 171,800 tonnes |
| 1994 | +72.7% | 1.10 million tonnes | 1.90 million tonnes |
| 1973 | +64.9% | 318,420 tonnes | 525,200 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 81,119 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 312,070 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 661,559 tonnes | 288,483 tonnes | 1.10 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.65 million tonnes | 1.48 million tonnes | 1.83 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.80 million tonnes | 1.10 million tonnes | 2.00 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.38 million tonnes | 2.10 million tonnes | 2.75 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.97 million tonnes | 2.70 million tonnes | 3.26 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.89 million tonnes | 2.65 million tonnes | 2.97 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 35 Venezuela 3.66 million tonnes compare
- 36 Tanzania 3.34 million tonnes compare
- 37 Madagascar 3.16 million tonnes compare
- 39 Bangladesh 2.93 million tonnes compare
- 40 Nepal 2.76 million tonnes compare
- 41 Democratic Republic of Congo 2.51 million tonnes compare
More reference data data for Malawi
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1596 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3426 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5353 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.6012 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.87 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sugar cane production in Malawi?
- Sugar cane production in Malawi was 2.97 million tonnes 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 sugar cane production recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 3.26 million tonnes in 2014.
- What is the lowest sugar cane production recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for sugar cane production?
- Malawi ranks 38th out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sugar cane production rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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 Sugar cane production. 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
Sugar cane production is measured in tonnes.