Agricultural land (sq. km), per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Agricultural land (sq. km), per capita was 0.0152 sq. km per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land (sq. km), per capita in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in sq. km per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0152 sq. km per person for agricultural land (sq. km), per capita in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land (sq. km), per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.0599 sq. km per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0152 sq. km per person, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 26th of 210 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 (sq. km), per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | sq. km per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0599 sq. km per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.0575 sq. km per person | -4.1% |
| 1963 | 0.0551 sq. km per person | -4.1% |
| 1964 | 0.0528 sq. km per person | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 0.0506 sq. km per person | -4.2% |
| 1966 | 0.049 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 1967 | 0.0473 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 1968 | 0.0458 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 1969 | 0.0443 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 1970 | 0.0428 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 1971 | 0.0415 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 0.0402 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1973 | 0.039 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1974 | 0.0378 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1975 | 0.0367 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 0.0356 sq. km per person | -2.9% |
| 1977 | 0.0347 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0338 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 0.0328 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 0.0319 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0308 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 0.0297 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 0.0287 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.0277 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 0.0268 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0261 sq. km per person | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 0.0254 sq. km per person | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 0.0247 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 0.024 sq. km per person | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 0.0235 sq. km per person | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 0.023 sq. km per person | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 0.0227 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 0.0224 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 0.0221 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 0.0219 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 0.0217 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 0.0214 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 0.0212 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.021 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 0.0208 sq. km per person | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 0.0206 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0204 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 0.0202 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 0.0199 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 0.0197 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 0.0194 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 0.0192 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.019 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 0.0187 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 0.0185 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 0.0182 sq. km per person | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 0.0179 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0176 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0173 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.017 sq. km per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0168 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.0167 sq. km per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.0164 sq. km per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.0162 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.0159 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.0157 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0154 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.0152 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0514 sq. km per person | 0.0443 sq. km per person | 0.0599 sq. km per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0375 sq. km per person | 0.0328 sq. km per person | 0.0428 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0276 sq. km per person | 0.024 sq. km per person | 0.0319 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0221 sq. km per person | 0.021 sq. km per person | 0.0235 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0198 sq. km per person | 0.0187 sq. km per person | 0.0208 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0173 sq. km per person | 0.0162 sq. km per person | 0.0185 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0156 sq. km per person | 0.0152 sq. km per person | 0.0159 sq. km per person | 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 (sq. km), per capita in South Africa?
- Agricultural land (sq. km), per capita in South Africa was 0.0152 sq. km per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest agricultural land (sq. km), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0599 sq. km per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land (sq. km), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0152 sq. km per person in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for agricultural land (sq. km), per capita?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land (sq. km), 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 Statizoid (derived), published as part of Agricultural land (sq. km), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Agricultural land (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Agricultural land (sq. km) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Agricultural land 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)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Agricultural land (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.