Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre was 2.75 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
2.75 hectares per square kilometre
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
109th
of 181 countries
All-time high
6.18 hectares per square kilometre
in 1972
All-time low
2.42 hectares per square kilometre
in 2016
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 2.75 hectares per square kilometre for land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 6.18 hectares per square kilometre in 1972 and was at its lowest, 2.42 hectares per square kilometre, in 2016.
That places South Africa 109th out of 181 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.02 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 5.12 hectares per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 5.45 hectares per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1964 | 5.27 hectares per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 1965 | 5.29 hectares per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 5.05 hectares per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 1967 | 5.67 hectares per square kilometre | +12.4% |
| 1968 | 5.74 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 5.58 hectares per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 5.65 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 6.07 hectares per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 6.18 hectares per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 5.29 hectares per square kilometre | -14.4% |
| 1974 | 5.97 hectares per square kilometre | +12.8% |
| 1975 | 5.87 hectares per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 6.09 hectares per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 5.79 hectares per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 1978 | 5.6 hectares per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 1979 | 5.74 hectares per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 5.47 hectares per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 1981 | 5.54 hectares per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 5.84 hectares per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1983 | 5.73 hectares per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 6.03 hectares per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 5.79 hectares per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 1986 | 6.06 hectares per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1987 | 6.12 hectares per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 5.99 hectares per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 5.54 hectares per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 1990 | 5.08 hectares per square kilometre | -8.4% |
| 1991 | 4.69 hectares per square kilometre | -7.7% |
| 1992 | 4.41 hectares per square kilometre | -5.9% |
| 1993 | 4.89 hectares per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1994 | 5.1 hectares per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 4.36 hectares per square kilometre | -14.4% |
| 1996 | 4.53 hectares per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 4.81 hectares per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 3.87 hectares per square kilometre | -19.6% |
| 1999 | 3.78 hectares per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 4.34 hectares per square kilometre | +14.6% |
| 2001 | 3.64 hectares per square kilometre | -16.0% |
| 2002 | 3.88 hectares per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 3.84 hectares per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 3.57 hectares per square kilometre | -7.1% |
| 2005 | 3.53 hectares per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 2.48 hectares per square kilometre | -29.7% |
| 2007 | 2.81 hectares per square kilometre | +13.2% |
| 2008 | 3.11 hectares per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 2009 | 2.73 hectares per square kilometre | -12.4% |
| 2010 | 2.92 hectares per square kilometre | +7.1% |
| 2011 | 2.65 hectares per square kilometre | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 2.83 hectares per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 2013 | 2.89 hectares per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 2.8 hectares per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 3.1 hectares per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 2016 | 2.42 hectares per square kilometre | -21.9% |
| 2017 | 3.03 hectares per square kilometre | +25.2% |
| 2018 | 2.76 hectares per square kilometre | -8.9% |
| 2019 | 2.79 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 3.02 hectares per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 2021 | 2.89 hectares per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 2022 | 2.8 hectares per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 2.75 hectares per square kilometre | -1.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2.75 hectares per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.49 hectares per square kilometre, 79% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2.75 hectares per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.74 hectares per square kilometre, 58% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.35 hectares per square kilometre | 5.02 hectares per square kilometre | 5.74 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.82 hectares per square kilometre | 5.29 hectares per square kilometre | 6.18 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.81 hectares per square kilometre | 5.47 hectares per square kilometre | 6.12 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.55 hectares per square kilometre | 3.78 hectares per square kilometre | 5.1 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.39 hectares per square kilometre | 2.48 hectares per square kilometre | 4.34 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.82 hectares per square kilometre | 2.42 hectares per square kilometre | 3.1 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.86 hectares per square kilometre | 2.75 hectares per square kilometre | 3.02 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 106 Finland 2.99 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 107 Nicaragua 2.91 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 108 Ecuador 2.76 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 110 Tajikistan 2.69 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 111 Cyprus 2.66 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 112 Russia 2.64 hectares per square kilometre compare
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 under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre in South Africa was 2.75 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.18 hectares per square kilometre in 1972.
- What is the lowest land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.42 hectares per square kilometre in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 109th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.8%. 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 under cereal production (hectares), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Land under cereal production (hectares) 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.
Land under cereal production (hectares) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Land under cereal production FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- 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
Land under cereal production (hectares) 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.