Butter and Ghee — Production in South Africa
South Africa: Butter and Ghee — Production was 18,820 t in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Butter and Ghee — Production in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
In 2023, butter and ghee — production in South Africa stood at 18,820 t.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and down 4.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, butter and ghee — production in South Africa peaked at 56,334 t in 1969 and was at its lowest, 6,713 t, in 1996.
That places South Africa 50th out of 126 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Butter and Ghee — Production in South Africa, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 49,318 t | — |
| 1962 | 48,081 t | -2.5% |
| 1963 | 33,307 t | -30.7% |
| 1964 | 41,315 t | +24.0% |
| 1965 | 39,149 t | -5.2% |
| 1966 | 38,848 t | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 45,330 t | +16.7% |
| 1968 | 53,533 t | +18.1% |
| 1969 | 56,334 t | +5.2% |
| 1970 | 48,117 t | -14.6% |
| 1971 | 44,814 t | -6.9% |
| 1972 | 46,219 t | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 39,170 t | -15.3% |
| 1974 | 32,389 t | -17.3% |
| 1975 | 27,352 t | -15.6% |
| 1976 | 26,883 t | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 24,519 t | -8.8% |
| 1978 | 17,612 t | -28.2% |
| 1979 | 19,091 t | +8.4% |
| 1980 | 16,876 t | -11.6% |
| 1981 | 14,792 t | -12.3% |
| 1982 | 20,813 t | +40.7% |
| 1983 | 18,317 t | -12.0% |
| 1984 | 16,420 t | -10.4% |
| 1985 | 17,626 t | +7.3% |
| 1986 | 13,241 t | -24.9% |
| 1987 | 11,968 t | -9.6% |
| 1988 | 15,552 t | +29.9% |
| 1989 | 16,651 t | +7.1% |
| 1990 | 22,853 t | +37.2% |
| 1991 | 15,420 t | -32.5% |
| 1992 | 17,143 t | +11.2% |
| 1993 | 14,868 t | -13.3% |
| 1994 | 12,049 t | -19.0% |
| 1995 | 14,848 t | +23.2% |
| 1996 | 6,713 t | -54.8% |
| 1997 | 13,793 t | +105.5% |
| 1998 | 17,695 t | +28.3% |
| 1999 | 8,984 t | -49.2% |
| 2000 | 9,426 t | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 11,464 t | +21.6% |
| 2002 | 9,034 t | -21.2% |
| 2003 | 11,734 t | +29.9% |
| 2004 | 13,317 t | +13.5% |
| 2005 | 15,269 t | +14.7% |
| 2006 | 17,317 t | +13.4% |
| 2007 | 17,826 t | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 18,282 t | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 18,260 t | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 18,020 t | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 17,424 t | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 18,363 t | +5.4% |
| 2013 | 19,715 t | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 13,725 t | -30.4% |
| 2015 | 14,081 t | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 14,513 t | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 14,724 t | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 15,531 t | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 14,747 t | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 16,107 t | +9.2% |
| 2021 | 17,873 t | +11.0% |
| 2022 | 18,228 t | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 18,820 t | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 45,024 t | 33,307 t | 56,334 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 32,617 t | 17,612 t | 48,117 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 16,226 t | 11,968 t | 20,813 t | 10 |
| 1990s | 14,437 t | 6,713 t | 22,853 t | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,193 t | 9,034 t | 18,282 t | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,084 t | 13,725 t | 19,715 t | 10 |
| 2020s | 17,757 t | 16,107 t | 18,820 t | 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)
- Agriculture share gdp 2.83 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 2.83 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is butter and ghee — production in South Africa?
- Butter and ghee — production in South Africa was 18,820 t in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest butter and ghee — production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 56,334 t in 1969.
- What is the lowest butter and ghee — production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,713 t in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for butter and ghee — production?
- South Africa ranks 50th out of 126 countries with data for 2023.
- Is butter and ghee — production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.5%. 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, published as part of Butter and Ghee — Production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.