Land area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Land area (sq. km), per capita was 0.0192 sq. km per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Land area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in sq. km per person.
Analysis
In 2023, land area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa stood at 0.0192 sq. km per person. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.0717 sq. km per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0192 sq. km per person, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 66th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Land area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | sq. km per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0717 sq. km per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.0696 sq. km per person | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 0.0676 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1964 | 0.0655 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 0.0635 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1966 | 0.0616 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 0.0597 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1968 | 0.0579 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1969 | 0.0561 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1970 | 0.0544 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1971 | 0.0529 sq. km per person | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 0.0514 sq. km per person | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 0.0499 sq. km per person | -2.8% |
| 1974 | 0.0485 sq. km per person | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 0.0472 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 0.046 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1977 | 0.0447 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0435 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 0.0424 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 0.0411 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0397 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 0.0384 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 0.0371 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.0358 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 0.0346 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0335 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 0.0325 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 0.0315 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 0.0306 sq. km per person | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0298 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0291 sq. km per person | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 0.0286 sq. km per person | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 0.028 sq. km per person | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0276 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 0.0272 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 0.0269 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 0.0266 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0262 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.026 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.0257 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 0.0255 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 0.0253 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 0.025 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0248 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0245 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0243 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 0.024 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0237 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0235 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.0232 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0229 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 0.0226 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0222 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0218 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.0214 sq. km per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0212 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.021 sq. km per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.0207 sq. km per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.0204 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.02 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.0197 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0194 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.0192 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0637 sq. km per person | 0.0561 sq. km per person | 0.0717 sq. km per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0481 sq. km per person | 0.0424 sq. km per person | 0.0544 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0355 sq. km per person | 0.0306 sq. km per person | 0.0411 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0276 sq. km per person | 0.026 sq. km per person | 0.0298 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0246 sq. km per person | 0.0235 sq. km per person | 0.0257 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0217 sq. km per person | 0.0204 sq. km per person | 0.0232 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0196 sq. km per person | 0.0192 sq. km per person | 0.02 sq. km per person | 4 |
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 land area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa?
- Land area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa was 0.0192 sq. km per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest land area (sq. km), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0717 sq. km per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest land area (sq. km), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0192 sq. km per person in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for land area (sq. km), per capita?
- South Africa ranks 66th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land area (sq. km), per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. 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 Land area (sq. km), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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How this figure is calculated
Land area (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Land area (sq. km) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- 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
Land area (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.