A georeferenced database of the global distribution of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) is described. The database was assembled from many country- level sources. To create a database representative for one time period, the proportion of national sweetpotato area in each production zone was multiplied by total national sweetpotato area for 1998-2000, as estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Most sweetpotato is grown in the temperate zone, 70% of the area is between 20° N and 40° N. Sweetpotato is highly concentrated in some areas, notably in the lowlands of China and in the mid-elevations of the Lake Victoria area in Africa.