Arable land in South Africa
South Africa: Arable land was 0.1898 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.1898 hectares per person
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
63rd
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.7097 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.1898 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable 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 hectares per person.
Analysis
In 2023, arable land in South Africa stood at 0.1898 hectares per person. 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, arable land in South Africa peaked at 0.7097 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.1898 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places South Africa 63rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.7097 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.6918 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1963 | 0.6739 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1964 | 0.6564 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1965 | 0.6391 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1966 | 0.6201 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1967 | 0.6015 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1968 | 0.5834 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1969 | 0.5661 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1970 | 0.5496 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1971 | 0.5341 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 0.5194 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 0.5051 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 0.4915 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 0.4784 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 0.466 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 0.4539 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 0.442 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 0.4305 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 0.4179 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 0.4042 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 0.3908 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 0.3774 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.3645 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 0.3526 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.3483 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 0.3362 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1988 | 0.3274 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 0.3205 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 0.3141 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 0.3094 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 0.3101 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 0.3101 hectares per person | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.3057 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 0.3031 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 0.3025 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 0.3 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 0.2964 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.2945 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 0.2929 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 0.2877 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 0.2853 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 0.2804 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 0.2715 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 0.2662 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 0.252 hectares per person | -5.3% |
| 2007 | 0.2494 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.2504 hectares per person | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 0.2447 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 0.2394 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 0.2271 hectares per person | -5.2% |
| 2012 | 0.2231 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 0.2195 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.2158 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.2116 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.2096 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.2082 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.2047 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.2014 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.1981 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.1951 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.1924 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.1898 hectares per person | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.638 hectares per person | 0.5661 hectares per person | 0.7097 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.487 hectares per person | 0.4305 hectares per person | 0.5496 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.364 hectares per person | 0.3205 hectares per person | 0.4179 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3046 hectares per person | 0.2945 hectares per person | 0.3141 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2681 hectares per person | 0.2447 hectares per person | 0.2929 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.216 hectares per person | 0.2014 hectares per person | 0.2394 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1939 hectares per person | 0.1898 hectares per person | 0.1981 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 60 Tanzania, United Republic of 0.2027 hectares per person compare
- 61 Eritrea 0.1988 hectares per person compare
- 62 Tonga 0.1912 hectares per person compare
- 64 Malawi 0.1895 hectares per person compare
- 65 Afghanistan 0.1893 hectares per person compare
- 66 Sierra Leone 0.1872 hectares per person compare
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 arable land in South Africa?
- Arable land in South Africa was 0.1898 hectares per person 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 arable land recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7097 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1898 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for arable land?
- South Africa ranks 63rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land 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 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 Arable land (hectares per person). 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
Arable land (hectares per person) 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.