Agricultural production statistics 2010–2023

FAOSTAT released new data on agricultural production. The agricultural sector plays a key role in achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from accessing nutritious and healthy food to developing sustainable agricultural systems, while respecting human rights and working conditions. The agrifood sustainability challenge affects each territory differently, depending on local strengths and weaknesses: understanding these realities is critical in targeting the appropriate drivers of the agricultural sector and promoting effective policies without overexploiting resources.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes key data that harmonize agricultural production data collected for 199 countries and territories.

The 2024 update looks at the agricultural production from 2010 up to 2023.

Main findings:

• The global production of primary crops reached 9.9 billion tonnes in 2023, increasing by 3 percent since 2022 and 27 percent since 2010.
• The global production of cereals increased by 61 million tonnes, or 2 percent, between 2022 and 2023, driven by an increase in maize output. Maize, wheat and rice accounted for 91 percent of total cereal production in 2023.
• World production of sugar crops increased by 122 million tonnes between 2022 and 2023. Sugar cane was by far the main sugar crop, with more than 2 billion tonnes in 2023 compared to 281 million tonnes for sugar beet.
• The global production of roots and tubers increased by 2 percent between 2022 and 2023, mainly due to the moderate growth in cassava and potato production.
• In 2023, world fruit and vegetable production reached 2.1 billion tonnes, up 1 percent from 2022.
• The global production of oil palm fruit, soya beans and rapeseed, the main oil crops, reached 893 million tonnes in 2023.
• The volume of chicken, pig and cattle, the main meats produced worldwide, reached 321 million tonnes in 2023.