Cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre was 15.68 metric tons per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
15.68 metric tons per square kilometre
Change on year
up 5.4%
World rank
75th
of 181 countries
All-time high
16.15 metric tons per square kilometre
in 2017
All-time low
4.17 metric tons per square kilometre
in 1992
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in metric tons per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre in South Africa stood at 15.68 metric tons per square kilometre.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 34.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 16.15 metric tons per square kilometre in 2017 and was at its lowest, 4.17 metric tons per square kilometre, in 1992.
South Africa ranks 75th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | metric tons per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.52 metric tons per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 5.84 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1963 | 6.15 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1964 | 4.81 metric tons per square kilometre | -21.7% |
| 1965 | 4.82 metric tons per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 5.1 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1967 | 9.78 metric tons per square kilometre | +91.9% |
| 1968 | 5.77 metric tons per square kilometre | -41.0% |
| 1969 | 5.81 metric tons per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 6.71 metric tons per square kilometre | +15.4% |
| 1971 | 9.09 metric tons per square kilometre | +35.5% |
| 1972 | 9.85 metric tons per square kilometre | +8.4% |
| 1973 | 5.33 metric tons per square kilometre | -45.9% |
| 1974 | 11.19 metric tons per square kilometre | +110.0% |
| 1975 | 9.53 metric tons per square kilometre | -14.9% |
| 1976 | 8.47 metric tons per square kilometre | -11.1% |
| 1977 | 10.14 metric tons per square kilometre | +19.8% |
| 1978 | 10.51 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1979 | 9.23 metric tons per square kilometre | -12.2% |
| 1980 | 11.03 metric tons per square kilometre | +19.4% |
| 1981 | 14.84 metric tons per square kilometre | +34.6% |
| 1982 | 9.7 metric tons per square kilometre | -34.7% |
| 1983 | 5.5 metric tons per square kilometre | -43.3% |
| 1984 | 6.53 metric tons per square kilometre | +18.8% |
| 1985 | 9.12 metric tons per square kilometre | +39.5% |
| 1986 | 9.64 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1987 | 9.97 metric tons per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 10.01 metric tons per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 12.65 metric tons per square kilometre | +26.4% |
| 1990 | 9.53 metric tons per square kilometre | -24.7% |
| 1991 | 9.31 metric tons per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 4.17 metric tons per square kilometre | -55.2% |
| 1993 | 10.56 metric tons per square kilometre | +153.3% |
| 1994 | 13.18 metric tons per square kilometre | +24.8% |
| 1995 | 6.19 metric tons per square kilometre | -53.0% |
| 1996 | 11.27 metric tons per square kilometre | +81.9% |
| 1997 | 10.93 metric tons per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 8.43 metric tons per square kilometre | -22.8% |
| 1999 | 8.29 metric tons per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 11.99 metric tons per square kilometre | +44.6% |
| 2001 | 8.83 metric tons per square kilometre | -26.4% |
| 2002 | 10.76 metric tons per square kilometre | +21.8% |
| 2003 | 9.74 metric tons per square kilometre | -9.4% |
| 2004 | 9.91 metric tons per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 11.69 metric tons per square kilometre | +17.9% |
| 2006 | 7.79 metric tons per square kilometre | -33.3% |
| 2007 | 7.84 metric tons per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 12.64 metric tons per square kilometre | +61.3% |
| 2009 | 12.01 metric tons per square kilometre | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 12.12 metric tons per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 10.66 metric tons per square kilometre | -12.1% |
| 2012 | 12 metric tons per square kilometre | +12.6% |
| 2013 | 11.67 metric tons per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 13.7 metric tons per square kilometre | +17.4% |
| 2015 | 10.37 metric tons per square kilometre | -24.3% |
| 2016 | 8.76 metric tons per square kilometre | -15.5% |
| 2017 | 16.15 metric tons per square kilometre | +84.3% |
| 2018 | 12.83 metric tons per square kilometre | -20.5% |
| 2019 | 11.44 metric tons per square kilometre | -10.9% |
| 2020 | 15.49 metric tons per square kilometre | +35.5% |
| 2021 | 15.85 metric tons per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 14.87 metric tons per square kilometre | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 15.68 metric tons per square kilometre | +5.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 15.68 metric tons per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.21 metric tons per square kilometre, 1.5× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 15.68 metric tons per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.6 metric tons per square kilometre, 2.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre 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 | +153.3% | 4.17 metric tons per square kilometre | 10.56 metric tons per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.96 metric tons per square kilometre | 4.81 metric tons per square kilometre | 9.78 metric tons per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 9.01 metric tons per square kilometre | 5.33 metric tons per square kilometre | 11.19 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.9 metric tons per square kilometre | 5.5 metric tons per square kilometre | 14.84 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.19 metric tons per square kilometre | 4.17 metric tons per square kilometre | 13.18 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.32 metric tons per square kilometre | 7.79 metric tons per square kilometre | 12.64 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.97 metric tons per square kilometre | 8.76 metric tons per square kilometre | 16.15 metric tons per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.47 metric tons per square kilometre | 14.87 metric tons per square kilometre | 15.85 metric tons per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 72 Brazil 18.65 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 73 Uzbekistan 17.95 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 74 Paraguay 17.35 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 76 Tanzania 14.44 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 77 Lebanon 13.04 metric tons per square kilometre compare
- 78 Iran 12.92 metric tons per square kilometre 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 cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre in South Africa was 15.68 metric tons per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 16.15 metric tons per square kilometre in 2017.
- What is the lowest cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.17 metric tons per square kilometre in 1992.
- How does South Africa rank for cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 75th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cereal production (metric tons), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cereal production (metric tons) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cereal production FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.