Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita was 0.1917 hectares per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per person.
Analysis
In 2025, cropland extent over the long-term, per capita in South Africa stood at 0.1917 hectares per person. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cropland extent over the long-term, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.7207 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.1917 hectares per person, in 2025.
South Africa ranks 74th of 189 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.7181 hectares per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.7207 hectares per person | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 0.7024 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1963 | 0.6848 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1964 | 0.6672 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1965 | 0.6501 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1966 | 0.631 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 0.6128 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 0.5949 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1969 | 0.5777 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1970 | 0.5608 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1971 | 0.5455 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 0.5306 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1973 | 0.5163 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 0.5025 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 0.4891 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 0.4766 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 0.4642 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 0.4527 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 0.4409 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 0.428 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 0.414 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 0.4003 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 0.3865 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.3734 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 0.3611 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.3565 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 0.3443 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1988 | 0.3352 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 0.328 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 0.3215 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 0.3168 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 0.3174 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 0.3172 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 0.3128 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 0.3103 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 0.31 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 0.3076 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 0.3042 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 0.3024 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 0.301 hectares per person | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 0.2961 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 0.2936 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 0.2887 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 0.2792 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 0.2739 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 0.2592 hectares per person | -5.4% |
| 2007 | 0.2565 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.2579 hectares per person | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 0.2525 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 0.2477 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 0.2349 hectares per person | -5.2% |
| 2012 | 0.2308 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 0.227 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.2233 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.2188 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.2168 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.2154 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.2118 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.2083 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.205 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.2018 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.199 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.1964 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 0.1939 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 0.1917 hectares per person | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.6559 hectares per person | 0.5777 hectares per person | 0.7207 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.4979 hectares per person | 0.4409 hectares per person | 0.5608 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3727 hectares per person | 0.328 hectares per person | 0.428 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.312 hectares per person | 0.3024 hectares per person | 0.3215 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2759 hectares per person | 0.2525 hectares per person | 0.301 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2235 hectares per person | 0.2083 hectares per person | 0.2477 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.198 hectares per person | 0.1917 hectares per person | 0.205 hectares per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 1.49 hectares per person (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cropland extent over the long-term, per capita in South Africa?
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita in South Africa was 0.1917 hectares per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cropland extent over the long-term, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7207 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest cropland extent over the long-term, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1917 hectares per person in 2025.
- How does South Africa rank for cropland extent over the long-term, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 74th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is cropland extent over the long-term, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.4%. 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 Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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How this figure is calculated
Cropland extent over the long-term divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cropland extent over the long-term ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Cropland extent over the long-term HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- 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
Cropland extent over the long-term divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.