Poland vs South Africa: Cropland extent over the long-term

Poland
11.67 million hectares
in 2025
South Africa
12.41 million hectares
in 2025
Poland rank
30th
South Africa rank
27th

Cropland extent over the long-term over time

  • Poland
  • South Africa
05.0M10.0M15.0M100015122025

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 12.41 million hectares against 11.67 million hectares in Poland, a difference of 739,800 hectares.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Poland's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Poland ahead.

Poland ranks 30th and South Africa ranks 27th of 202 countries.

Across the 40 decades both report, Poland averaged higher in 37 and South Africa in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Poland South Africa Difference Ahead
1000s 980,449 hectares 11,990 hectares 968,459 hectares Poland
1100s 1.16 million hectares 17,985 hectares 1.14 million hectares Poland
1200s 1.70 million hectares 26,228 hectares 1.68 million hectares Poland
1300s 2.60 million hectares 37,469 hectares 2.56 million hectares Poland
1400s 2.54 million hectares 52,690 hectares 2.49 million hectares Poland
1500s 2.83 million hectares 73,181 hectares 2.76 million hectares Poland
1600s 3.43 million hectares 106,722 hectares 3.33 million hectares Poland
1700s 3.98 million hectares 190,575 hectares 3.79 million hectares Poland
1710s 4.13 million hectares 233,719 hectares 3.89 million hectares Poland
1720s 4.31 million hectares 286,523 hectares 4.02 million hectares Poland
1730s 4.49 million hectares 351,122 hectares 4.14 million hectares Poland
1740s 4.69 million hectares 430,113 hectares 4.26 million hectares Poland
1750s 4.89 million hectares 526,653 hectares 4.36 million hectares Poland
1760s 5.10 million hectares 515,666 hectares 4.58 million hectares Poland
1770s 5.32 million hectares 504,679 hectares 4.81 million hectares Poland
1780s 5.54 million hectares 493,691 hectares 5.05 million hectares Poland
1790s 5.78 million hectares 482,704 hectares 5.30 million hectares Poland
1800s 6.03 million hectares 471,717 hectares 5.55 million hectares Poland
1810s 6.28 million hectares 460,729 hectares 5.82 million hectares Poland
1820s 6.54 million hectares 449,742 hectares 6.09 million hectares Poland
1830s 6.91 million hectares 438,754 hectares 6.47 million hectares Poland
1840s 7.44 million hectares 427,767 hectares 7.02 million hectares Poland
1850s 8.02 million hectares 503,525 hectares 7.51 million hectares Poland
1860s 9.15 million hectares 620,789 hectares 8.53 million hectares Poland
1870s 10.26 million hectares 823,404 hectares 9.44 million hectares Poland
1880s 12.00 million hectares 1.63 million hectares 10.37 million hectares Poland
1890s 13.70 million hectares 2.00 million hectares 11.70 million hectares Poland
1900s 14.72 million hectares 2.79 million hectares 11.93 million hectares Poland
1910s 15.71 million hectares 3.74 million hectares 11.97 million hectares Poland
1920s 13.99 million hectares 4.63 million hectares 9.36 million hectares Poland
1930s 16.29 million hectares 5.77 million hectares 10.52 million hectares Poland
1940s 15.49 million hectares 6.99 million hectares 8.50 million hectares Poland
1950s 14.98 million hectares 10.36 million hectares 4.62 million hectares Poland
1960s 15.80 million hectares 12.31 million hectares 3.49 million hectares Poland
1970s 15.12 million hectares 12.56 million hectares 2.56 million hectares Poland
1980s 14.83 million hectares 12.75 million hectares 2.08 million hectares Poland
1990s 14.55 million hectares 13.73 million hectares 816,830 hectares Poland
2000s 12.98 million hectares 13.58 million hectares 601,090 hectares South Africa
2010s 11.28 million hectares 12.47 million hectares 1.19 million hectares South Africa
2020s 11.57 million hectares 12.41 million hectares 842,233 hectares South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher cropland extent over the long-term, Poland or South Africa?
South Africa, at 12.41 million hectares against 11.67 million hectares in Poland as of 2025.
What is the difference in cropland extent over the long-term between Poland and South Africa?
739,800 hectares, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Poland and South Africa?
108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
How do Poland and South Africa rank globally for cropland extent over the long-term?
Poland ranks 30th and South Africa ranks 27th of 202 countries.
Where does this data come from?
HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Cropland extent over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Poland vs South Africa: Cropland extent over the long-term. Statizoid, drawing on HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/cropland-use-over-the-long-term/poland/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Cropland extent over the long-term
Unit
hectares
Source
HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
202 places, 21,816 data points, 1000–2025
Last refreshed

Total cropland area for each separate country over time.