This document describes a geo-referenced database of the global distribution of sweetpotato. The database was assembled from many different national-level sources that varied in accuracy and detail. First, a map of relative within-country distribution was made for all countries with sweetpotato production. Administrative boundaries were used to delimit production zones, some of which were adapted based on other information. The proportion of national sweetpotato area was estimated for each zone using within-country statistical data, where available. Then, to create a database representative for one time period, the proportion of national sweetpotato area in each zone was multiplied by total national sweetpotato area for 1996–1998, as estimated by FAO.