Butter of cow milk — Production in South Africa

South Africa: Butter of cow milk — Production was 15,900 t in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
15,900 t
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
48th
of 119 countries
All-time high
56,334 t
in 1969
All-time low
6,313 t
in 1996
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Butter of cow milk — Production in South Africa, 1961–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k196119922023

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.

Analysis

In 2023, butter of cow milk — production in South Africa stood at 15,900 t.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, butter of cow milk — production in South Africa peaked at 56,334 t in 1969 and was at its lowest, 6,313 t, in 1996.

South Africa ranks 48th of 119 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.

Butter of cow milk — Production in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Butter of cow milk — Production in South Africa, 1961 to 2023.
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 21,453 t +28.8%
1991 15,320 t -28.6%
1992 17,043 t +11.2%
1993 14,768 t -13.3%
1994 11,949 t -19.1%
1995 14,598 t +22.2%
1996 6,313 t -56.8%
1997 12,793 t +102.6%
1998 17,195 t +34.4%
1999 8,484 t -50.7%
2000 8,926 t +5.2%
2001 10,964 t +22.8%
2002 8,534 t -22.2%
2003 11,234 t +31.6%
2004 12,817 t +14.1%
2005 14,769 t +15.2%
2006 16,817 t +13.9%
2007 17,326 t +3.0%
2008 17,732 t +2.3%
2009 17,760 t +0.2%
2010 17,159 t -3.4%
2011 16,536 t -3.6%
2012 17,429 t +5.4%
2013 18,750 t +7.6%
2014 13,100 t -30.1%
2015 13,500 t +3.1%
2016 13,900 t +3.0%
2017 14,100 t +1.4%
2018 14,400 t +2.1%
2019 14,100 t -2.1%
2020 15,400 t +9.2%
2021 15,100 t -1.9%
2022 15,400 t +2.0%
2023 15,900 t +3.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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 13,992 t 6,313 t 21,453 t 10
2000s 13,688 t 8,534 t 17,760 t 10
2010s 15,297 t 13,100 t 18,750 t 10
2020s 15,450 t 15,100 t 15,900 t 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 45 Sudan (former) 17,793 t compare
  2. 46 Myanmar 17,621 t compare
  3. 47 Norway 16,000 t compare
  4. 49 South Sudan 15,482 t compare
  5. 50 Lithuania 13,990 t compare
  6. 51 Saudi Arabia 12,130 t compare

See the full ranking of 158 places →

More agriculture & rural data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is butter of cow milk — production in South Africa?
Butter of cow milk — production in South Africa was 15,900 t in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest butter of cow milk — production recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 56,334 t in 1969.
What is the lowest butter of cow milk — production recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6,313 t in 1996.
How does South Africa rank for butter of cow milk — production?
South Africa ranks 48th out of 119 countries with data for 2023.
Is butter of cow milk — production rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. 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 of cow milk — Production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Butter of cow milk — Production in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/butter-of-cow-milk-production/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Butter of cow milk — Production
Unit
t
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
158 places, 8,319 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

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.