Agricultural land per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Agricultural land per capita was 1.52 hectares per capita in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.52 hectares per capita
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
31st
of 226 countries
All-time high
5.99 hectares per capita
in 1961
All-time low
1.52 hectares per capita
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Agricultural land per capita in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares per capita.
Analysis
In 2023, agricultural land per capita in South Africa stood at 1.52 hectares per capita. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land per capita in South Africa peaked at 5.99 hectares per capita in 1961 and was at its lowest, 1.52 hectares per capita, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 31st of 226 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.99 hectares per capita | — |
| 1962 | 5.75 hectares per capita | -4.1% |
| 1963 | 5.51 hectares per capita | -4.1% |
| 1964 | 5.28 hectares per capita | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 5.06 hectares per capita | -4.2% |
| 1966 | 4.9 hectares per capita | -3.2% |
| 1967 | 4.73 hectares per capita | -3.3% |
| 1968 | 4.58 hectares per capita | -3.3% |
| 1969 | 4.43 hectares per capita | -3.3% |
| 1970 | 4.28 hectares per capita | -3.2% |
| 1971 | 4.15 hectares per capita | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 4.02 hectares per capita | -3.1% |
| 1973 | 3.9 hectares per capita | -3.1% |
| 1974 | 3.78 hectares per capita | -3.0% |
| 1975 | 3.67 hectares per capita | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 3.56 hectares per capita | -2.9% |
| 1977 | 3.47 hectares per capita | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 3.38 hectares per capita | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 3.28 hectares per capita | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 3.19 hectares per capita | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 3.08 hectares per capita | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 2.97 hectares per capita | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 2.87 hectares per capita | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 2.77 hectares per capita | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 2.68 hectares per capita | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 2.61 hectares per capita | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 2.54 hectares per capita | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 2.47 hectares per capita | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 2.4 hectares per capita | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 2.35 hectares per capita | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 2.3 hectares per capita | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 2.27 hectares per capita | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 2.24 hectares per capita | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 2.21 hectares per capita | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 2.19 hectares per capita | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 2.17 hectares per capita | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 2.14 hectares per capita | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 2.12 hectares per capita | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 2.1 hectares per capita | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 2.08 hectares per capita | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 2.06 hectares per capita | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 2.04 hectares per capita | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 2.02 hectares per capita | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 1.99 hectares per capita | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 1.97 hectares per capita | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 1.94 hectares per capita | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 1.92 hectares per capita | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 1.9 hectares per capita | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 1.87 hectares per capita | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 1.85 hectares per capita | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 1.82 hectares per capita | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 1.79 hectares per capita | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 1.76 hectares per capita | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 1.73 hectares per capita | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 1.7 hectares per capita | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 1.68 hectares per capita | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 1.67 hectares per capita | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.64 hectares per capita | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 1.62 hectares per capita | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 1.59 hectares per capita | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 1.57 hectares per capita | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 1.54 hectares per capita | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 1.52 hectares per capita | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.14 hectares per capita | 4.43 hectares per capita | 5.99 hectares per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.75 hectares per capita | 3.28 hectares per capita | 4.28 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.76 hectares per capita | 2.4 hectares per capita | 3.19 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.21 hectares per capita | 2.1 hectares per capita | 2.35 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.98 hectares per capita | 1.87 hectares per capita | 2.08 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.73 hectares per capita | 1.62 hectares per capita | 1.85 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.56 hectares per capita | 1.52 hectares per capita | 1.59 hectares per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land per capita in South Africa?
- Agricultural land per capita in South Africa was 1.52 hectares per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agricultural land per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.99 hectares per capita in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.52 hectares per capita in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for agricultural land per capita?
- South Africa ranks 31st out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Agricultural land per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Agricultural land is the sum of cropland and land used as pasture for grazing livestock.