Cereal production (metric tons), per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Cereal production (metric tons), per capita was 0.2393 metric tons per person in 2024. ▼ Falling
Cereal production (metric tons), per capita in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in metric tons per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.2393 metric tons per person for cereal production (metric tons), per capita in 2024.
The figure is down 20.5% on the previous year and down 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production (metric tons), per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.5895 metric tons per person in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.1191 metric tons per person, in 1992.
South Africa ranks 60th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Cereal production (metric tons), per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | metric tons per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.3961 metric tons per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.407 metric tons per person | +2.8% |
| 1963 | 0.4154 metric tons per person | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 0.3154 metric tons per person | -24.1% |
| 1965 | 0.3061 metric tons per person | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 0.3141 metric tons per person | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 0.5842 metric tons per person | +86.0% |
| 1968 | 0.3342 metric tons per person | -42.8% |
| 1969 | 0.3262 metric tons per person | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 0.3652 metric tons per person | +12.0% |
| 1971 | 0.4807 metric tons per person | +31.6% |
| 1972 | 0.5062 metric tons per person | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 0.2662 metric tons per person | -47.4% |
| 1974 | 0.5434 metric tons per person | +104.1% |
| 1975 | 0.4499 metric tons per person | -17.2% |
| 1976 | 0.3892 metric tons per person | -13.5% |
| 1977 | 0.4537 metric tons per person | +16.6% |
| 1978 | 0.4577 metric tons per person | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 0.3912 metric tons per person | -14.5% |
| 1980 | 0.4532 metric tons per person | +15.8% |
| 1981 | 0.5895 metric tons per person | +30.1% |
| 1982 | 0.3721 metric tons per person | -36.9% |
| 1983 | 0.2038 metric tons per person | -45.2% |
| 1984 | 0.2339 metric tons per person | +14.7% |
| 1985 | 0.3157 metric tons per person | +35.0% |
| 1986 | 0.3231 metric tons per person | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 0.3241 metric tons per person | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 0.3155 metric tons per person | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 0.3871 metric tons per person | +22.7% |
| 1990 | 0.2837 metric tons per person | -26.7% |
| 1991 | 0.2709 metric tons per person | -4.5% |
| 1992 | 0.1191 metric tons per person | -56.0% |
| 1993 | 0.2958 metric tons per person | +148.3% |
| 1994 | 0.3633 metric tons per person | +22.8% |
| 1995 | 0.1687 metric tons per person | -53.6% |
| 1996 | 0.303 metric tons per person | +79.6% |
| 1997 | 0.2902 metric tons per person | -4.2% |
| 1998 | 0.2214 metric tons per person | -23.7% |
| 1999 | 0.2153 metric tons per person | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 0.3085 metric tons per person | +43.3% |
| 2001 | 0.2253 metric tons per person | -27.0% |
| 2002 | 0.2717 metric tons per person | +20.6% |
| 2003 | 0.2437 metric tons per person | -10.3% |
| 2004 | 0.2455 metric tons per person | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 0.2864 metric tons per person | +16.7% |
| 2006 | 0.1891 metric tons per person | -34.0% |
| 2007 | 0.1882 metric tons per person | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 0.3001 metric tons per person | +59.5% |
| 2009 | 0.2817 metric tons per person | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 0.2809 metric tons per person | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 0.244 metric tons per person | -13.1% |
| 2012 | 0.2706 metric tons per person | +10.9% |
| 2013 | 0.2589 metric tons per person | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 0.2989 metric tons per person | +15.5% |
| 2015 | 0.2218 metric tons per person | -25.8% |
| 2016 | 0.1856 metric tons per person | -16.3% |
| 2017 | 0.3399 metric tons per person | +83.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2656 metric tons per person | -21.9% |
| 2019 | 0.2328 metric tons per person | -12.3% |
| 2020 | 0.3103 metric tons per person | +33.3% |
| 2021 | 0.3127 metric tons per person | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.2892 metric tons per person | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 0.3008 metric tons per person | +4.0% |
| 2024 | 0.2393 metric tons per person | -20.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.2393 metric tons per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1538 metric tons per person, 1.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.2393 metric tons per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1017 metric tons per person, 2.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cereal production (metric tons), per capita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +148.3% | 0.1191 metric tons per person | 0.2958 metric tons per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3776 metric tons per person | 0.3061 metric tons per person | 0.5842 metric tons per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.4303 metric tons per person | 0.2662 metric tons per person | 0.5434 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3518 metric tons per person | 0.2038 metric tons per person | 0.5895 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2531 metric tons per person | 0.1191 metric tons per person | 0.3633 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.254 metric tons per person | 0.1882 metric tons per person | 0.3085 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2599 metric tons per person | 0.1856 metric tons per person | 0.3399 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2904 metric tons per person | 0.2393 metric tons per person | 0.3127 metric tons per person | 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 cereal production (metric tons), per capita in South Africa?
- Cereal production (metric tons), per capita in South Africa was 0.2393 metric tons per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cereal production (metric tons), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5895 metric tons per person in 1981.
- What is the lowest cereal production (metric tons), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1191 metric tons per person in 1992.
- How does South Africa rank for cereal production (metric tons), per capita?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal production (metric tons), per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cereal production (metric tons), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cereal production (metric tons) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cereal production (metric tons) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Cereal production FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Cereal production (metric tons) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.