Global Cereal Production has grown much faster than the global population over the last half century.

Over the past six decades, global cereal production has far outpaced population growth, ensuring that food supply has kept up with demand.

The chart illustrates the relative change in four key indicators since 1961: cereal production, cereal yields, land use for cereals, and global population. Each metric is shown as a multiple of its 1961 value, which serves as the baseline.

Cereal production has surged 3.5 times over, surpassing the 2.6-fold increase in population. This means that, on average, the world now produces more cereal per person than it did 60 years ago.

The primary driver behind this growth has been improved crop yields rather than expanded farmland. While land use for cereal production has increased, the majority of gains have come from higher yields, thanks to advancements in agricultural technology, better farming practices, and improved crop varieties. This increase in efficiency has helped protect natural ecosystems by reducing the need for large-scale land conversion into farmland.