Surface irrigation systems are based on the principle of moving water over the land by simple gravity in order to moisten the soil. They can be subdivided into furrow, borderstrip and basin irrigation (including submersion irrigation of rice). Manual irrigation using buckets or watering cans are also included. Surface irrigation does NOT refer to the method of transporting the water from the source up to the field, which may be done by gravity or by pumping.
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 686.90 | 652.93 | 618.97 | 585.00 | 613.23 | 596.00 | 596.00 | 596.00 | 596.00 | 596.00 | |||||
| Benin | 4.77 | 7.82 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | 10.59 | |
| Botswana | 0.23 | 0.28 | 0.36 | 0.38 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.47 | 0.55 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.59 | |
| Burkina Faso | 14.35 | 18.98 | 24.32 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | 25.39 | |
| Burundi | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | 6.96 | |
| Cameroon | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | 17.02 | |
| Chad | 13.06 | 24.28 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 | 26.52 |
| Congo | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | 11.75 | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | |
| Egypt | 3,032.78 | 2,916.88 | 2,730.00 | 2,737.56 | 2,795.04 | 2,844.19 | 2,832.09 | 2,888.81 | 2,891.08 | 2,891.08 | 2,891.08 | 2,891.08 | 2,891.08 | 2,891.08 | |
| Eritrea | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.10 | |
| Eswatini | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | 25.89 | |
| Ethiopia | 178.37 | 466.77 | 499.50 | 532.24 | 564.97 | 597.70 | 630.44 | 630.44 | 630.44 | 630.44 | 630.44 | 630.44 | 630.44 | ||
| Gambia | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | |
| Ghana | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | 24.60 | |
| Guinea | 19.08 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | 19.93 | |
| Guinea-Bissau | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | 8.56 | |
| Kenya | 40.69 | 57.01 | 101.50 | 107.35 | 113.20 | 119.05 | 124.90 | 130.76 | 136.61 | 136.61 | 136.61 | 136.61 | 136.61 | 136.61 | |
| Madagascar | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | 829.30 | |
| Malawi | 6.36 | 8.14 | 10.07 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | 10.47 | |
| Mali | 97.50 | 129.05 | 160.59 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | 166.90 | |
| Mauritius | 2.02 | 1.77 | 0.71 | 0.89 | 1.14 | 0.87 | 0.57 | 0.34 | 0.32 | 0.29 | 0.28 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.25 | |
| Morocco | 1,012.55 | 1,278.05 | 1,185.43 | 1,067.57 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 | 1,044.00 |
| Namibia | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | 2.95 | |
| Niger | 13.74 | 12.83 | 11.91 | 11.00 | 14.00 | 15.00 | 15.34 | 15.34 | 15.34 | 15.34 | 15.34 | ||||
| Nigeria | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | 238.10 | ||
| Rwanda | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | |||||||||
| Senegal | 94.50 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | 102.20 | |
| Seychelles | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | ||
| Sierra Leone | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Somalia | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | ||
| South Africa | 500.00 | 506.68 | 513.35 | 534.38 | 385.00 | 343.41 | 301.81 | 260.22 | 218.63 | 177.04 | 182.03 | 218.17 | 212.32 | 215.26 | |
| Togo | 1.45 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.30 |
| Tunisia | 303.94 | 239.45 | 209.86 | 199.63 | 189.40 | 167.79 | 146.18 | 124.56 | 102.95 | 106.89 | 94.00 | 95.00 | 95.00 | 95.00 | |
| Uganda | 5.49 | 5.84 | 6.18 | 6.25 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 6.32 | 6.32 | |
| Zambia | 31.43 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | 32.19 | |
| Zimbabwe | 19.25 | 45.50 | 38.73 | 31.96 | 30.61 | 29.26 | 27.90 | 26.55 | 39.19 | 39.73 | 40.40 | 45.19 | 45.53 | 54.55 | 54.55 |
| South Sudan | 12.70 | 12.70 | 12.70 | 12.70 | 12.70 | ||||||||||
| Cabo Verde | 2.30 | 1.86 | 1.51 |