Agriculture sector as a share of GDP in Africa 2022, by country

Between 2020 to 2022, Sierra Leone registered the agricultural sector's highest contribution of the to the GDP in Africa, at over 60 percent. Niger and Ethiopia followed, with agriculture, forestry, and fishing accounting for approximately 42 percent and 38 percent of the GDP, respectively. On the other hand, Libya, Botswana, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa were the African countries with the lowest percentage of the GDP generated by the agricultural sector. 

Agriculture remains a pillar of Africa’s economy

Despite the significant variations across countries, agriculture is a key sector in Africa. In 2022, it represented around 17 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP, growing by over two percentage points compared to 2011. The agricultural industry also strongly contributes to the continent’s job market. The number of people employed in the primary sector in Africa grew from around 197 million in 2011 to 230 million in 2021. In proportion, agriculture employed approximately 43 percent of Africa’s working population in 2021. Agricultural activities attracted a large share of the labor force in Central, East, and West Africa, which registered percentages over the regional average. On the other hand, North Africa recorded the lowest share of employment in agriculture, as the regional economy relies significantly on the industrial and service sectors.

Cereals are among the most produced crops

Sudan and South Africa are the African countries with the largest agricultural areas. Respectively, they devote around 113 million and 96.3 million hectares of land to growing crops. Agricultural production varies significantly across African countries in terms of products and volume. Cereals such as rice, corn, and wheat are among the main crops on the continent, also representing a staple in most countries. The leading cereal producers are Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. Together, they recorded a cereal output of almost 100 million metric tons in 2021. Additionally, rice productionwas concentrated in Nigeria, Egypt, Madagascar, and Tanzania.