Democratic Republic of Congo vs South Africa: Arable land

Democratic Republic of Congo
14.90 million hectares
in 2023
South Africa
12.00 million hectares
in 2023
Democratic Republic of Congo rank
22nd
South Africa rank
24th

Arable land over time

  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • South Africa
05.0M10.0M15.0M196119922023

How they compare

Democratic Republic of Congo currently reports 14.90 million hectares against 12.00 million hectares in South Africa, a difference of 2.90 million hectares.

That makes Democratic Republic of Congo's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was South Africa ahead.

Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 24th of 206 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Democratic Republic of Congo averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade Democratic Republic of Congo South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 6.39 million hectares 12.15 million hectares 5.77 million hectares South Africa
1970s 6.54 million hectares 12.29 million hectares 5.74 million hectares South Africa
1980s 6.67 million hectares 12.45 million hectares 5.78 million hectares South Africa
1990s 6.70 million hectares 13.40 million hectares 6.71 million hectares South Africa
2000s 6.83 million hectares 13.19 million hectares 6.37 million hectares South Africa
2010s 12.05 million hectares 12.06 million hectares 4,400 hectares South Africa
2020s 14.20 million hectares 12.00 million hectares 2.20 million hectares Democratic Republic of Congo

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher arable land, Democratic Republic of Congo or South Africa?
Democratic Republic of Congo, at 14.90 million hectares against 12.00 million hectares in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in arable land between Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa?
2.90 million hectares, with Democratic Republic of Congo ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa?
63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa rank globally for arable land?
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 24th of 206 countries.
Where does this data come from?
FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Arable land (hectares). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Democratic Republic of Congo vs South Africa: Arable land. Statizoid, drawing on FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/arable-land-hectares/congo-dem-rep/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Arable land (hectares)
Unit
hectares
Source
FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
206 places, 11,871 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Arable land (in hectares) includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded.