Agricultural land in South Africa
South Africa: Agricultural land was 79.4% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Agricultural land in South Africa, 1961–2023
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). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 79.4% for agricultural land in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in South Africa peaked at 83.5% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 77.5%, in 1982.
That places South Africa 6th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Agricultural land in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 83.5% | — |
| 1962 | 82.5% | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 81.6% | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 80.6% | -1.3% |
| 1965 | 79.6% | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 79.5% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 79.3% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 79.1% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 78.9% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 78.7% | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 78.5% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 78.3% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 78.1% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 77.9% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 77.7% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 77.5% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 77.8% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 78.0% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 78.2% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 78.6% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 78.8% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 79.1% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 79.5% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 79.9% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 80.2% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 80.4% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 80.7% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 80.7% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 80.8% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 80.8% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 80.9% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 80.8% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 80.8% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 80.7% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 80.5% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 80.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 79.9% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 79.9% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 80.1% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 80.0% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 79.9% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 79.4% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 79.4% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 79.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 38.7%, 2.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 79.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 46.4%, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80.5% | 78.9% | 83.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 77.9% | 77.5% | 78.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.8% | 77.5% | 78.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 80.1% | 78.8% | 80.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.4% | 79.9% | 80.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.5% | 79.4% | 79.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.4% | 79.4% | 79.4% | 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 in South Africa?
- Agricultural land in South Africa was 79.4% in 2023, according to 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).
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 83.5% in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.5% in 1982.
- How does South Africa rank for agricultural land?
- South Africa ranks 6th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Agricultural land (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land 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. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.