Cereal yields in South Africa
South Africa: Cereal yields was 4.56 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cereal yields 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 tonnes per hectare.
Analysis
In 2024, cereal yields in South Africa stood at 4.56 tonnes per hectare.
The figure is down 20.0% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal yields in South Africa peaked at 5.7 tonnes per hectare in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.9114 tonnes per hectare, in 1965.
That places South Africa 54th out of 185 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.11 tonnes per hectare | 0.9114 tonnes per hectare | 1.73 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.54 tonnes per hectare | 1.01 tonnes per hectare | 1.88 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.71 tonnes per hectare | 0.9602 tonnes per hectare | 2.68 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.01 tonnes per hectare | 0.9447 tonnes per hectare | 2.58 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.1 tonnes per hectare | 2.42 tonnes per hectare | 4.41 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.24 tonnes per hectare | 3.35 tonnes per hectare | 5.33 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.24 tonnes per hectare | 4.56 tonnes per hectare | 5.7 tonnes per hectare | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 51 Peru 4.85 tonnes per hectare compare
- 52 Papua New Guinea 4.79 tonnes per hectare compare
- 53 Switzerland 4.58 tonnes per hectare compare
- 55 Dominican Republic 4.46 tonnes per hectare compare
- 56 Suriname 4.45 tonnes per hectare compare
- 57 Colombia 4.42 tonnes per hectare compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 12.08 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.8% (2025)
- Rural population 23.43 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Rural population 36.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 3.36 million hectares (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cereal yields in South Africa?
- Cereal yields in South Africa was 4.56 tonnes per hectare 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 cereal yields recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.7 tonnes per hectare in 2023.
- What is the lowest cereal yields recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9114 tonnes per hectare in 1965.
- How does South Africa rank for cereal yields?
- South Africa ranks 54th out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cereal yields 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 (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cereal yields. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in tonnes per hectare.