Cereal yield vs. GDP per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Cereal yield vs. GDP per capita was 4.56 kg per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4.56 kg per hectare
Change on year
down 20.0%
World rank
51st
of 180 countries
All-time high
5.7 kg per hectare
in 2023
All-time low
0.9114 kg per hectare
in 1965
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Cereal yield vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kg per hectare.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cereal yield vs. gdp per capita in South Africa is 4.56 kg per hectare, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 20.0% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal yield vs. gdp per capita in South Africa peaked at 5.7 kg per hectare in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.9114 kg per hectare, in 1965.
That places South Africa 51st out of 180 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cereal yield vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kg per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.1 kg per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 1.14 kg per hectare | +3.9% |
| 1963 | 1.13 kg per hectare | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 0.9139 kg per hectare | -19.0% |
| 1965 | 0.9114 kg per hectare | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 1.01 kg per hectare | +10.9% |
| 1967 | 1.73 kg per hectare | +70.8% |
| 1968 | 1.01 kg per hectare | -41.7% |
| 1969 | 1.04 kg per hectare | +3.5% |
| 1970 | 1.19 kg per hectare | +14.0% |
| 1971 | 1.5 kg per hectare | +26.2% |
| 1972 | 1.59 kg per hectare | +6.4% |
| 1973 | 1.01 kg per hectare | -36.8% |
| 1974 | 1.88 kg per hectare | +86.2% |
| 1975 | 1.62 kg per hectare | -13.4% |
| 1976 | 1.39 kg per hectare | -14.3% |
| 1977 | 1.75 kg per hectare | +25.9% |
| 1978 | 1.88 kg per hectare | +7.1% |
| 1979 | 1.61 kg per hectare | -14.2% |
| 1980 | 2.02 kg per hectare | +25.3% |
| 1981 | 2.68 kg per hectare | +32.9% |
| 1982 | 1.66 kg per hectare | -38.1% |
| 1983 | 0.9602 kg per hectare | -42.1% |
| 1984 | 1.08 kg per hectare | +12.9% |
| 1985 | 1.58 kg per hectare | +45.4% |
| 1986 | 1.59 kg per hectare | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 1.63 kg per hectare | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 1.67 kg per hectare | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 2.28 kg per hectare | +36.5% |
| 1990 | 1.88 kg per hectare | -17.7% |
| 1991 | 1.99 kg per hectare | +5.8% |
| 1992 | 0.9447 kg per hectare | -52.4% |
| 1993 | 2.16 kg per hectare | +128.7% |
| 1994 | 2.58 kg per hectare | +19.7% |
| 1995 | 1.42 kg per hectare | -45.1% |
| 1996 | 2.49 kg per hectare | +75.5% |
| 1997 | 2.27 kg per hectare | -8.8% |
| 1998 | 2.18 kg per hectare | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 2.19 kg per hectare | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 2.77 kg per hectare | +26.2% |
| 2001 | 2.42 kg per hectare | -12.4% |
| 2002 | 2.77 kg per hectare | +14.4% |
| 2003 | 2.54 kg per hectare | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 2.78 kg per hectare | +9.5% |
| 2005 | 3.31 kg per hectare | +19.1% |
| 2006 | 3.14 kg per hectare | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 2.79 kg per hectare | -11.2% |
| 2008 | 4.06 kg per hectare | +45.6% |
| 2009 | 4.41 kg per hectare | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 4.15 kg per hectare | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 4.02 kg per hectare | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 4.24 kg per hectare | +5.6% |
| 2013 | 4.04 kg per hectare | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 4.9 kg per hectare | +21.2% |
| 2015 | 3.35 kg per hectare | -31.7% |
| 2016 | 3.62 kg per hectare | +8.2% |
| 2017 | 5.33 kg per hectare | +47.2% |
| 2018 | 4.65 kg per hectare | -12.8% |
| 2019 | 4.1 kg per hectare | -11.8% |
| 2020 | 5.12 kg per hectare | +24.9% |
| 2021 | 5.49 kg per hectare | +7.3% |
| 2022 | 5.31 kg per hectare | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 5.7 kg per hectare | +7.4% |
| 2024 | 4.56 kg per hectare | -20.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 4.56 kg per hectare is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.43 kg per hectare, 1.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 4.56 kg per hectare is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.35 kg per hectare, 3.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.11 kg per hectare | 0.9114 kg per hectare | 1.73 kg per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.54 kg per hectare | 1.01 kg per hectare | 1.88 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.71 kg per hectare | 0.9602 kg per hectare | 2.68 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.01 kg per hectare | 0.9447 kg per hectare | 2.58 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.1 kg per hectare | 2.42 kg per hectare | 4.41 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.24 kg per hectare | 3.35 kg per hectare | 5.33 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.24 kg per hectare | 4.56 kg per hectare | 5.7 kg per hectare | 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 yield vs. gdp per capita in South Africa?
- Cereal yield vs. gdp per capita in South Africa was 4.56 kg per hectare in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cereal yield vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.7 kg per hectare in 2023.
- What is the lowest cereal yield vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9114 kg per hectare in 1965.
- How does South Africa rank for cereal yield vs. gdp per capita?
- South Africa ranks 51st out of 180 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal yield vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. 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 (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Cereal yield vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average cereal yield, measured in tonnes per hectare versus gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.