Sweet potato production in Tanzania
Tanzania: Sweet potato production was 2.23 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.23 million tonnes
Change on year
up 23.9%
World rank
4th
of 120 countries
All-time high
5.44 million tonnes
in 2017
All-time low
195,280 tonnes
in 1964
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Sweet potato production in Tanzania, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 2.23 million tonnes for sweet potato production in 2024.
The figure is up 23.9% on the previous year and down 36.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sweet potato production in Tanzania peaked at 5.44 million tonnes in 2017 and was at its lowest, 195,280 tonnes, in 1964.
That places Tanzania 4th out of 120 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.
Sweet potato production in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 215,000 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 210,000 tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1963 | 211,000 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 195,280 tonnes | -7.5% |
| 1965 | 200,498 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1966 | 236,981 tonnes | +18.2% |
| 1967 | 254,102 tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1968 | 252,814 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 228,800 tonnes | -9.5% |
| 1970 | 244,559 tonnes | +6.9% |
| 1971 | 228,824 tonnes | -6.4% |
| 1972 | 223,071 tonnes | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 379,944 tonnes | +70.3% |
| 1974 | 383,999 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 458,785 tonnes | +19.5% |
| 1976 | 513,156 tonnes | +11.9% |
| 1977 | 527,000 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 695,882 tonnes | +32.0% |
| 1979 | 593,040 tonnes | -14.8% |
| 1980 | 550,000 tonnes | -7.3% |
| 1981 | 400,000 tonnes | -27.3% |
| 1982 | 303,720 tonnes | -24.1% |
| 1983 | 209,360 tonnes | -31.1% |
| 1984 | 209,540 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 303,000 tonnes | +44.6% |
| 1986 | 290,000 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1987 | 352,200 tonnes | +21.4% |
| 1988 | 246,000 tonnes | -30.2% |
| 1989 | 337,310 tonnes | +37.1% |
| 1990 | 400,000 tonnes | +18.6% |
| 1991 | 290,800 tonnes | -27.3% |
| 1992 | 256,990 tonnes | -11.6% |
| 1993 | 258,800 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 283,500 tonnes | +9.5% |
| 1995 | 448,800 tonnes | +58.3% |
| 1996 | 418,100 tonnes | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 477,700 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1998 | 637,800 tonnes | +33.5% |
| 1999 | 565,220 tonnes | -11.4% |
| 2000 | 777,300 tonnes | +37.5% |
| 2001 | 950,100 tonnes | +22.2% |
| 2002 | 1.47 million tonnes | +54.3% |
| 2003 | 207,830 tonnes | -85.8% |
| 2004 | 1.50 million tonnes | +622.5% |
| 2005 | 1.41 million tonnes | -5.8% |
| 2006 | 1.40 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 1.32 million tonnes | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 1.38 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 1.42 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 2.42 million tonnes | +71.0% |
| 2011 | 3.57 million tonnes | +47.4% |
| 2012 | 3.02 million tonnes | -15.5% |
| 2013 | 3.47 million tonnes | +15.0% |
| 2014 | 3.50 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 3.45 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 3.98 million tonnes | +15.3% |
| 2017 | 5.44 million tonnes | +36.5% |
| 2018 | 3.74 million tonnes | -31.2% |
| 2019 | 3.92 million tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 3.40 million tonnes | -13.3% |
| 2021 | 2.91 million tonnes | -14.3% |
| 2022 | 1.85 million tonnes | -36.7% |
| 2023 | 1.80 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 2.23 million tonnes | +23.9% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 2.23 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 94,021 tonnes, 23.7× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 2.23 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 179,140 tonnes, 12.4× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sweet potato production in Tanzania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +622.5% | 207,830 tonnes | 1.50 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 222,719 tonnes | 195,280 tonnes | 254,102 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 424,826 tonnes | 223,071 tonnes | 695,882 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 320,113 tonnes | 209,360 tonnes | 550,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 403,771 tonnes | 256,990 tonnes | 637,800 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.18 million tonnes | 207,830 tonnes | 1.50 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.65 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 5.44 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.44 million tonnes | 1.80 million tonnes | 3.40 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More reference data data for Tanzania
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6405 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 3.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Crop Residues 1,094 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 56.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure left on 15,734 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure Management 333.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sweet potato production in Tanzania?
- Sweet potato production in Tanzania was 2.23 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 sweet potato production recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 5.44 million tonnes in 2017.
- What is the lowest sweet potato production recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 195,280 tonnes in 1964.
- How does Tanzania rank for sweet potato production?
- Tanzania ranks 4th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sweet potato production rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tanzania 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 Sweet potato 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
Sweet potato production is measured in tonnes.