Land under cereal production in South Africa
South Africa: Land under cereal production was 3.36 million hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Land under cereal production in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2024, land under cereal production in South Africa stood at 3.36 million hectares.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under cereal production in South Africa peaked at 7.50 million hectares in 1972 and was at its lowest, 2.93 million hectares, in 2016.
That places South Africa 37th out of 181 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Land under cereal production in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 6.09 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 6.21 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 6.61 million hectares | +6.5% |
| 1964 | 6.39 million hectares | -3.4% |
| 1965 | 6.41 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 6.12 million hectares | -4.6% |
| 1967 | 6.88 million hectares | +12.4% |
| 1968 | 6.96 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 6.77 million hectares | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 6.86 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 7.36 million hectares | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 7.50 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 6.42 million hectares | -14.4% |
| 1974 | 7.24 million hectares | +12.8% |
| 1975 | 7.12 million hectares | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 7.38 million hectares | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 7.02 million hectares | -4.9% |
| 1978 | 6.80 million hectares | -3.2% |
| 1979 | 6.96 million hectares | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 6.63 million hectares | -4.7% |
| 1981 | 6.72 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 7.09 million hectares | +5.5% |
| 1983 | 6.95 million hectares | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 7.31 million hectares | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 7.02 million hectares | -4.0% |
| 1986 | 7.36 million hectares | +4.8% |
| 1987 | 7.43 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 7.26 million hectares | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 6.72 million hectares | -7.4% |
| 1990 | 6.16 million hectares | -8.4% |
| 1991 | 5.69 million hectares | -7.7% |
| 1992 | 5.35 million hectares | -5.9% |
| 1993 | 5.93 million hectares | +10.8% |
| 1994 | 6.18 million hectares | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 5.29 million hectares | -14.4% |
| 1996 | 5.49 million hectares | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 5.83 million hectares | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 4.69 million hectares | -19.6% |
| 1999 | 4.59 million hectares | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 5.26 million hectares | +14.6% |
| 2001 | 4.42 million hectares | -16.0% |
| 2002 | 4.71 million hectares | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 4.66 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 4.33 million hectares | -7.1% |
| 2005 | 4.28 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 3.01 million hectares | -29.7% |
| 2007 | 3.41 million hectares | +13.2% |
| 2008 | 3.78 million hectares | +10.8% |
| 2009 | 3.31 million hectares | -12.4% |
| 2010 | 3.54 million hectares | +7.1% |
| 2011 | 3.22 million hectares | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 3.43 million hectares | +6.6% |
| 2013 | 3.50 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 3.39 million hectares | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 3.76 million hectares | +10.8% |
| 2016 | 2.93 million hectares | -21.9% |
| 2017 | 3.67 million hectares | +25.2% |
| 2018 | 3.35 million hectares | -8.9% |
| 2019 | 3.38 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 3.67 million hectares | +8.5% |
| 2021 | 3.50 million hectares | -4.6% |
| 2022 | 3.40 million hectares | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 3.33 million hectares | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 3.36 million hectares | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.49 million hectares | 6.09 million hectares | 6.96 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 7.07 million hectares | 6.42 million hectares | 7.50 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.05 million hectares | 6.63 million hectares | 7.43 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.52 million hectares | 4.59 million hectares | 6.18 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.12 million hectares | 3.01 million hectares | 5.26 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.42 million hectares | 2.93 million hectares | 3.76 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.45 million hectares | 3.33 million hectares | 3.67 million hectares | 5 |
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 under cereal production in South Africa?
- Land under cereal production in South Africa was 3.36 million hectares in 2024, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest land under cereal production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 7.50 million hectares in 1972.
- What is the lowest land under cereal production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.93 million hectares in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for land under cereal production?
- South Africa ranks 37th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is land under cereal production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Land under cereal production (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Land under cereal production refers to harvested area, although some countries report only sown or cultivated area. Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains. Production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.