Global meat production, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Global meat production, per square kilometre was 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.99 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 4.5%
World rank
82nd
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.99 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2024
All-time low
0.5007 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Global meat production, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre for global meat production, per square kilometre in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 4.5% on the previous year and up 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, global meat production, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.5007 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
South Africa ranks 82nd of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Global meat production, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.5007 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.5082 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 0.5414 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1964 | 0.5726 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1965 | 0.5908 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 0.5901 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 0.566 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.1% |
| 1968 | 0.5745 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 0.6401 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.4% |
| 1970 | 0.6271 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 0.6627 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1972 | 0.74 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.7% |
| 1973 | 0.7467 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 0.7486 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 0.7612 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 0.7884 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1977 | 0.8167 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 0.8678 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 1979 | 0.9186 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1980 | 0.8906 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 0.8718 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 0.9343 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1983 | 0.963 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 0.9914 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 1.03 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 0.9844 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 1 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 0.9791 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 0.9971 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 1.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +20.5% |
| 1991 | 1.24 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 1.27 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 1.22 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 1.13 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 1995 | 1.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 1.15 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 1.42 tonnes per square kilometre | +24.2% |
| 1998 | 1.19 tonnes per square kilometre | -16.7% |
| 1999 | 1.25 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 2000 | 1.36 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 2001 | 1.42 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 1.45 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 1.52 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 1.59 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 1.67 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 1.78 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 1.94 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 2008 | 2.07 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.8% |
| 2009 | 2.14 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 2.29 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 2.29 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 2.3 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 2.54 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.4% |
| 2014 | 2.64 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 2.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 2.67 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 2.58 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 2.67 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 2.77 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 2.85 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 2.9 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 2.92 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 2.86 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.85 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.0× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.8164 tonnes per square kilometre, 3.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5649 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.5007 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.6401 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.7678 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.6271 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.9186 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9649 tonnes per square kilometre | 0.8718 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.03 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.22 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.13 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.42 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.69 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.36 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.14 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.55 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.29 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.77 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.9 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.85 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 79 Uganda 3.2 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 80 Seychelles 3.2 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 81 Nepal 3.12 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 83 Fiji 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 84 Qatar 2.94 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 85 Maldives 2.91 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1917 hectares per person (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is global meat production, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Global meat production, per square kilometre in South Africa was 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest global meat production, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.99 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024.
- What is the lowest global meat production, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5007 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for global meat production, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 82nd out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is global meat production, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Global meat production, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Global meat production 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.
Global meat production ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Global meat production Our World in Data
- 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
Global meat production 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.