Cropland area in South Africa
South Africa: Cropland area was 12.41 million in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
12.41 million
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
27th
of 219 groups
All-time high
14.20 million
in 2000
All-time low
12.19 million
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cropland area in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cropland area in South Africa is 12.41 million, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, cropland area in South Africa peaked at 14.20 million in 2000 and was at its lowest, 12.19 million, in 1961.
That places South Africa 27th out of 219 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.37 million | 12.19 million | 12.49 million | 9 |
| 1970s | 12.56 million | 12.49 million | 12.63 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.75 million | 12.63 million | 13.00 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.73 million | 13.10 million | 14.13 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.58 million | 12.96 million | 14.20 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.47 million | 12.41 million | 12.96 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.41 million | 12.41 million | 12.41 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture share gdp 2.83 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 2.83 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 36.2% (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Rural population 23.43 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 12.08 billion current US$ (2025)
- Tomatoes — Gross per capita Production Index Number 79.42 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cropland area in South Africa?
- Cropland area in South Africa was 12.41 million in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cropland area recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.20 million in 2000.
- What is the lowest cropland area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.19 million in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for cropland area?
- South Africa ranks 27th out of 219 groups with data for 2023.
- Is cropland area rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Cropland area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).