Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added in South Africa
South Africa: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added was 2.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added in South Africa is 2.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added in South Africa peaked at 9.3% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2013.
That places South Africa 136th out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 9.0% | — |
| 1961 | 9.3% | +3.0% |
| 1962 | 9.0% | -3.8% |
| 1963 | 8.8% | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 7.6% | -13.5% |
| 1965 | 7.4% | -2.8% |
| 1966 | 7.7% | +3.6% |
| 1967 | 8.5% | +10.3% |
| 1968 | 7.1% | -16.0% |
| 1969 | 6.7% | -6.6% |
| 1970 | 5.7% | -13.8% |
| 1971 | 6.2% | +8.5% |
| 1972 | 6.2% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 5.9% | -3.8% |
| 1974 | 7.2% | +21.1% |
| 1975 | 6.3% | -11.8% |
| 1976 | 5.6% | -12.1% |
| 1977 | 5.8% | +4.7% |
| 1978 | 5.6% | -4.1% |
| 1979 | 5.0% | -10.4% |
| 1980 | 5.3% | +6.1% |
| 1981 | 5.4% | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 4.7% | -13.4% |
| 1983 | 3.7% | -22.3% |
| 1984 | 4.0% | +8.3% |
| 1985 | 4.3% | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 4.1% | -3.9% |
| 1987 | 4.6% | +12.3% |
| 1988 | 4.8% | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | -7.7% |
| 1990 | 3.8% | -14.1% |
| 1991 | 3.7% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 3.1% | -15.9% |
| 1993 | 3.4% | +8.7% |
| 1994 | 3.8% | +9.7% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | -16.9% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | +9.5% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | -7.1% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -8.1% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | +7.6% |
| 2002 | 3.0% | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | -10.2% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -9.1% |
| 2005 | 2.1% | -13.5% |
| 2006 | 2.1% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | +14.9% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | +9.2% |
| 2009 | 2.4% | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -12.2% |
| 2011 | 2.0% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 2.1% | +10.3% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +8.1% |
| 2017 | 2.5% | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 2.3% | -9.3% |
| 2019 | 2.0% | -13.7% |
| 2020 | 2.6% | +32.2% |
| 2021 | 2.5% | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | +6.0% |
| 2023 | 2.5% | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 2.8% | +10.9% |
| 2025 | 2.8% | +0.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6.9%, 41% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.8%, 14% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.1% | 6.7% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.0% | 5.0% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.4% | 2.8% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 6 |
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 agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added in South Africa?
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added in South Africa was 2.8% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.3% in 1961.
- What is the lowest agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2013.
- How does South Africa rank for agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added?
- South Africa ranks 136th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing corresponds to ISIC (Rev. 4) divisions 01-03 and includes the exploitation of vegetal and animal natural resources, comprising the activities of growing of crops, raising and breeding of animals, harvesting of timber and other plants, animals or animal products from a farm or their natural habitats.Value added is the contribution to the economy by a producer or an industry or an institutional sector, which is estimated by the total value of output produced and deducting the total value of intermediate consumption of goods and services used to produce that output. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. Note: For VAB countries, gross value added at factor cost is used as the denominator.