Sweet potato production in Zambia
Zambia: Sweet potato production was 83,542 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
83,542 tonnes
Change on year
down 64.4%
World rank
48th
of 120 countries
All-time high
252,867 tonnes
in 2010
All-time low
20,000 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Sweet potato production in Zambia, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 83,542 tonnes for sweet potato production in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 64.4% on the previous year and down 44.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sweet potato production in Zambia peaked at 252,867 tonnes in 2010 and was at its lowest, 20,000 tonnes, in 1961.
Zambia ranks 48th of 120 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 potato production in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 20,000 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 24,000 tonnes | +20.0% |
| 1963 | 24,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 28,000 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1965 | 26,000 tonnes | -7.1% |
| 1966 | 30,000 tonnes | +15.4% |
| 1967 | 32,000 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1968 | 30,000 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1969 | 33,000 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1970 | 34,000 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 34,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 36,000 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1973 | 36,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 38,000 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1975 | 38,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 39,000 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 39,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 39,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 40,000 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 40,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 40,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 42,000 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 44,000 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1984 | 44,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 44,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 46,000 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 48,000 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 50,000 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1989 | 52,000 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 54,000 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 56,000 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 50,000 tonnes | -10.7% |
| 1993 | 55,000 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1994 | 53,000 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 51,000 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 54,000 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1997 | 51,000 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 1998 | 50,000 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 52,000 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 52,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 76,098 tonnes | +46.3% |
| 2002 | 59,349 tonnes | -22.0% |
| 2003 | 101,582 tonnes | +71.2% |
| 2004 | 109,489 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 66,926 tonnes | -38.9% |
| 2006 | 101,287 tonnes | +51.3% |
| 2007 | 75,664 tonnes | -25.3% |
| 2008 | 106,523 tonnes | +40.8% |
| 2009 | 200,450 tonnes | +88.2% |
| 2010 | 252,867 tonnes | +26.1% |
| 2011 | 146,614 tonnes | -42.0% |
| 2012 | 163,484 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 2013 | 188,355 tonnes | +15.2% |
| 2014 | 150,158 tonnes | -20.3% |
| 2015 | 118,330 tonnes | -21.2% |
| 2016 | 231,881 tonnes | +96.0% |
| 2017 | 206,676 tonnes | -10.9% |
| 2018 | 183,280 tonnes | -11.3% |
| 2019 | 109,336 tonnes | -40.3% |
| 2020 | 144,706 tonnes | +32.3% |
| 2021 | 213,567 tonnes | +47.6% |
| 2022 | 132,442 tonnes | -38.0% |
| 2023 | 234,631 tonnes | +77.2% |
| 2024 | 83,542 tonnes | -64.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 83,542 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 94,021 tonnes, 89% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 83,542 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 179,140 tonnes, 47% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sweet potato production 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +96.0% | 118,330 tonnes | 231,881 tonnes |
| 2009 | +88.2% | 106,523 tonnes | 200,450 tonnes |
| 2023 | +77.2% | 132,442 tonnes | 234,631 tonnes |
| 2003 | +71.2% | 59,349 tonnes | 101,582 tonnes |
| 2024 | -64.4% | 234,631 tonnes | 83,542 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 27,444 tonnes | 20,000 tonnes | 33,000 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 37,300 tonnes | 34,000 tonnes | 40,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 45,000 tonnes | 40,000 tonnes | 52,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 52,600 tonnes | 50,000 tonnes | 56,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 94,937 tonnes | 52,000 tonnes | 200,450 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 175,098 tonnes | 109,336 tonnes | 252,867 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 161,778 tonnes | 83,542 tonnes | 234,631 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 45 Equatorial Guinea 102,398 tonnes compare
- 46 Dominican Republic 92,467 tonnes compare
- 47 Australia 89,203 tonnes compare
- 49 Uruguay 82,000 tonnes compare
- 50 South Africa 70,564 tonnes compare
- 51 Mexico 66,732 tonnes compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sweet potato production in Zambia?
- Sweet potato production in Zambia was 83,542 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 252,867 tonnes in 2010.
- What is the lowest sweet potato production recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 20,000 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Zambia rank for sweet potato production?
- Zambia ranks 48th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sweet potato production rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.4%. 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 (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.