Cattle meat per animal in South Africa
South Africa: Cattle meat per animal was 348 kilograms per animal in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
348 kilograms per animal
Change on year
up 6.4%
World rank
9th
of 198 countries
All-time high
361 kilograms per animal
in 1997
All-time low
169 kilograms per animal
in 1968
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Cattle meat per animal in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per animal.
Analysis
In 2024, cattle meat per animal in South Africa stood at 348 kilograms per animal.
The figure is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cattle meat per animal in South Africa peaked at 361 kilograms per animal in 1997 and was at its lowest, 169 kilograms per animal, in 1968.
That places South Africa 9th out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Cattle meat per animal in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kilograms per animal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 178 kilograms per animal | — |
| 1962 | 175 kilograms per animal | -1.7% |
| 1963 | 188 kilograms per animal | +7.4% |
| 1964 | 188 kilograms per animal | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 184 kilograms per animal | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 174 kilograms per animal | -5.4% |
| 1967 | 172 kilograms per animal | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 169 kilograms per animal | -1.7% |
| 1969 | 186 kilograms per animal | +10.1% |
| 1970 | 189 kilograms per animal | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 186 kilograms per animal | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 191 kilograms per animal | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 187 kilograms per animal | -2.1% |
| 1974 | 206 kilograms per animal | +10.2% |
| 1975 | 223 kilograms per animal | +8.3% |
| 1976 | 198 kilograms per animal | -11.2% |
| 1977 | 202 kilograms per animal | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 197 kilograms per animal | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 192 kilograms per animal | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 195 kilograms per animal | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 210 kilograms per animal | +7.7% |
| 1982 | 217 kilograms per animal | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 201 kilograms per animal | -7.4% |
| 1984 | 207 kilograms per animal | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 220 kilograms per animal | +6.3% |
| 1986 | 214 kilograms per animal | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 214 kilograms per animal | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 234 kilograms per animal | +9.3% |
| 1989 | 233 kilograms per animal | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 229 kilograms per animal | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 231 kilograms per animal | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 234 kilograms per animal | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 214 kilograms per animal | -8.5% |
| 1994 | 205 kilograms per animal | -4.2% |
| 1995 | 240 kilograms per animal | +17.1% |
| 1996 | 214 kilograms per animal | -10.8% |
| 1997 | 361 kilograms per animal | +68.7% |
| 1998 | 242 kilograms per animal | -33.0% |
| 1999 | 247 kilograms per animal | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 214 kilograms per animal | -13.4% |
| 2001 | 258 kilograms per animal | +20.6% |
| 2002 | 228 kilograms per animal | -11.6% |
| 2003 | 252 kilograms per animal | +10.5% |
| 2004 | 255 kilograms per animal | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 268 kilograms per animal | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 273 kilograms per animal | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 268 kilograms per animal | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 275 kilograms per animal | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 279 kilograms per animal | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 309 kilograms per animal | +10.8% |
| 2011 | 301 kilograms per animal | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 302 kilograms per animal | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 303 kilograms per animal | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 297 kilograms per animal | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 301 kilograms per animal | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 300 kilograms per animal | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 289 kilograms per animal | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 303 kilograms per animal | +4.8% |
| 2019 | 336 kilograms per animal | +10.9% |
| 2020 | 322 kilograms per animal | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 322 kilograms per animal | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 314 kilograms per animal | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 327 kilograms per animal | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 348 kilograms per animal | +6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 179.33 kilograms per animal | 169 kilograms per animal | 188 kilograms per animal | 9 |
| 1970s | 197.1 kilograms per animal | 186 kilograms per animal | 223 kilograms per animal | 10 |
| 1980s | 214.5 kilograms per animal | 195 kilograms per animal | 234 kilograms per animal | 10 |
| 1990s | 241.7 kilograms per animal | 205 kilograms per animal | 361 kilograms per animal | 10 |
| 2000s | 257 kilograms per animal | 214 kilograms per animal | 279 kilograms per animal | 10 |
| 2010s | 304.1 kilograms per animal | 289 kilograms per animal | 336 kilograms per animal | 10 |
| 2020s | 326.6 kilograms per animal | 314 kilograms per animal | 348 kilograms per animal | 5 |
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 cattle meat per animal in South Africa?
- Cattle meat per animal in South Africa was 348 kilograms per animal in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cattle meat per animal recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 361 kilograms per animal in 1997.
- What is the lowest cattle meat per animal recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 169 kilograms per animal in 1968.
- How does South Africa rank for cattle meat per animal?
- South Africa ranks 9th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cattle meat per animal rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Cattle meat per animal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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