Nigeria vs South Africa: Agricultural land use
Nigeria
69.40 million hectares
in 2023
South Africa
96.34 million hectares
in 2023
Nigeria rank
15th
South Africa rank
14th
Agricultural land use over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 96.34 million hectares against 69.40 million hectares in Nigeria, a difference of 26.94 million hectares.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.4 times Nigeria's.
Across all 63 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 14th of 227 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 54.60 million hectares | 97.67 million hectares | 43.07 million hectares | South Africa |
| 1970s | 55.74 million hectares | 94.56 million hectares | 38.82 million hectares | South Africa |
| 1980s | 57.30 million hectares | 94.35 million hectares | 37.05 million hectares | South Africa |
| 1990s | 62.49 million hectares | 97.17 million hectares | 34.68 million hectares | South Africa |
| 2000s | 66.04 million hectares | 97.51 million hectares | 31.47 million hectares | South Africa |
| 2010s | 67.40 million hectares | 96.40 million hectares | 29.00 million hectares | South Africa |
| 2020s | 69.05 million hectares | 96.34 million hectares | 27.29 million hectares | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher agricultural land use, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 96.34 million hectares against 69.40 million hectares in Nigeria as of 2023.
- What is the difference in agricultural land use between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 26.94 million hectares, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for agricultural land use?
- Nigeria ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 14th of 227 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Agricultural land use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Land used for cultivation of crops and animal husbandry. The total of areas under cropland and permanent meadows and pastures.