Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in South Africa
South Africa: Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade was 0.0% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in South Africa, 1971–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0% for is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in South Africa peaked at 3.7% in 1995 and was at its lowest, -6.0%, in 1971.
South Africa ranks 91st of 225 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | -6.0% | — |
| 1972 | -5.1% | -15.0% |
| 1973 | -4.3% | -16.7% |
| 1974 | -3.3% | -23.4% |
| 1975 | -2.4% | -27.0% |
| 1976 | -2.4% | +2.4% |
| 1977 | -2.2% | -11.0% |
| 1978 | -1.9% | -10.8% |
| 1979 | -1.7% | -11.6% |
| 1980 | -1.5% | -13.8% |
| 1981 | -1.2% | -15.4% |
| 1982 | -1.0% | -17.9% |
| 1983 | -0.8% | -24.0% |
| 1984 | -0.6% | -29.1% |
| 1985 | -0.3% | -47.9% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | -222.0% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | +78.9% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +40.7% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | +49.4% |
| 1990 | 1.6% | +24.2% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | +26.9% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | +24.4% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | +19.0% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | +11.3% |
| 1995 | 3.7% | +7.9% |
| 1996 | 3.7% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 3.5% | -5.8% |
| 1998 | 3.3% | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | -11.1% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -8.7% |
| 2001 | 2.1% | -20.8% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | -22.9% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | -36.5% |
| 2004 | 0.4% | -65.5% |
| 2005 | -0.0% | -110.8% |
| 2006 | -1.0% | +2597.9% |
| 2007 | -1.1% | +5.2% |
| 2008 | -0.9% | -16.6% |
| 2009 | -1.1% | +21.5% |
| 2010 | -1.3% | +15.2% |
| 2011 | -1.7% | +33.0% |
| 2012 | -1.7% | +2.9% |
| 2013 | -1.6% | -5.8% |
| 2014 | -1.3% | -19.9% |
| 2015 | -1.2% | -9.8% |
| 2016 | -0.6% | -51.8% |
| 2017 | -0.6% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | -0.8% | +39.4% |
| 2019 | -0.7% | -15.5% |
| 2020 | -0.6% | -14.9% |
| 2021 | -0.0% | -94.0% |
| 2022 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 2023 | 0.0% | — |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.9%. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | -2597.9% | -0.0% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | +222.0% | -0.3% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -3.3% | -6.0% | -1.7% | 9 |
| 1980s | -0.2% | -1.5% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 1.6% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | -1.1% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.1% | -1.7% | -0.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.2% | -0.6% | 0.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 88 Sierra Leone 0.0% compare
- 89 Namibia 0.0% compare
- 90 Somalia 0.0% compare
- 91 Antigua and Barbuda 0.0% compare
- 91 Aruba 0.0%
- 91 Bahamas 0.0% compare
- 91 Bermuda 0.0% compare
- 91 British Virgin Islands 0.0% compare
- 91 Brunei 0.0% compare
- 91 Cape Verde 0.0% compare
- 91 Cayman Islands 0.0%
- 91 Comoros 0.0% compare
- 91 Cook Islands 0.0% compare
- 91 Dominica 0.0% compare
- 91 Eritrea 0.0% compare
- 91 Gabon 0.0% compare
- 91 Grenada 0.0% compare
- 91 Kiribati 0.0% compare
- 91 Madagascar 0.0% compare
- 91 Marshall Islands 0.0% compare
- 91 Mauritania 0.0% compare
- 91 Micronesia (country) 0.0% compare
- 91 Montserrat 0.0% compare
- 91 Nauru 0.0% compare
- 91 Netherlands Antilles 0.0% compare
- 91 Niue 0.0% compare
- 91 Norfolk Island 0.0%
- 91 Palau 0.0%
- 91 Saint Helena 0.0% compare
- 91 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.0% compare
- 91 Saint Lucia 0.0% compare
- 91 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0.0% compare
- 91 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.0% compare
- 91 Seychelles 0.0% compare
- 91 Togo 0.0% compare
- 91 Tokelau 0.0% compare
- 91 Trinidad and Tobago 0.0% compare
- 91 Turks and Caicos Islands 0.0%
- 91 Tuvalu 0.0% compare
- 91 Uganda 0.0% compare
- 91 Vanuatu 0.0% compare
- 91 Venezuela 0.0% compare
- 91 Wallis and Futuna 0.0% compare
- 91 Western Sahara 0.0% compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1917 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 1.49 hectares per person (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in South Africa?
- Is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in South Africa was 0.0% 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 is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 1995.
- What is the lowest is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.0% in 1971.
- How does South Africa rank for is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade?
- South Africa ranks 91st out of 225 countries with data for 2023.
- Is is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage change in surface area devoted to agriculture with respect to 10 years before. Negative values imply that surface area has decreased with respect to the previous decade. This data is used to assess which countries may have already peaked in their agricultural land use.