Maize yield in South Africa
South Africa: Maize yield was 4,367 kg per hectare in 2011. ▲ Rising
Latest (2011)
4,367 kg per hectare
Change on year
down 6.6%
World rank
3rd
of 49 countries
All-time high
4,964 kg per hectare
in 2009
All-time low
785.3 kg per hectare
in 1992
Years of data
51
1961–2011
Maize yield in South Africa, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in kg per hectare.
Analysis
In 2011, maize yield in South Africa stood at 4,367 kg per hectare.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.6% on the previous year and up 79.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maize yield in South Africa peaked at 4,964 kg per hectare in 2009 and was at its lowest, 785.3 kg per hectare, in 1992.
South Africa ranks 3rd of 49 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Maize yield in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kg per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1,285 kg per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 1,388 kg per hectare | +8.0% |
| 1963 | 1,412 kg per hectare | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 972.3 kg per hectare | -31.1% |
| 1965 | 1,074 kg per hectare | +10.5% |
| 1966 | 1,217 kg per hectare | +13.3% |
| 1967 | 2,136 kg per hectare | +75.5% |
| 1968 | 1,133 kg per hectare | -46.9% |
| 1969 | 1,226 kg per hectare | +8.2% |
| 1970 | 1,399 kg per hectare | +14.1% |
| 1971 | 1,802 kg per hectare | +28.9% |
| 1972 | 1,917 kg per hectare | +6.4% |
| 1973 | 1,057 kg per hectare | -44.9% |
| 1974 | 2,299 kg per hectare | +117.5% |
| 1975 | 1,907 kg per hectare | -17.1% |
| 1976 | 1,507 kg per hectare | -21.0% |
| 1977 | 2,081 kg per hectare | +38.1% |
| 1978 | 2,313 kg per hectare | +11.1% |
| 1979 | 1,856 kg per hectare | -19.8% |
| 1980 | 2,420 kg per hectare | +30.4% |
| 1981 | 3,314 kg per hectare | +37.0% |
| 1982 | 1,883 kg per hectare | -43.2% |
| 1983 | 940 kg per hectare | -50.1% |
| 1984 | 991.3 kg per hectare | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 1,876 kg per hectare | +89.2% |
| 1986 | 1,781 kg per hectare | -5.0% |
| 1987 | 1,558 kg per hectare | -12.5% |
| 1988 | 1,620 kg per hectare | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 2,840 kg per hectare | +75.4% |
| 1990 | 2,205 kg per hectare | -22.4% |
| 1991 | 2,257 kg per hectare | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 785.3 kg per hectare | -65.2% |
| 1993 | 2,284 kg per hectare | +190.8% |
| 1994 | 2,848 kg per hectare | +24.7% |
| 1995 | 1,380 kg per hectare | -51.5% |
| 1996 | 2,704 kg per hectare | +96.0% |
| 1997 | 2,520 kg per hectare | -6.8% |
| 1998 | 2,161 kg per hectare | -14.2% |
| 1999 | 2,227 kg per hectare | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 2,849 kg per hectare | +27.9% |
| 2001 | 2,437 kg per hectare | -14.5% |
| 2002 | 2,852 kg per hectare | +17.0% |
| 2003 | 2,658 kg per hectare | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 3,030 kg per hectare | +14.0% |
| 2005 | 3,635 kg per hectare | +20.0% |
| 2006 | 3,412 kg per hectare | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 2,792 kg per hectare | -18.2% |
| 2008 | 4,537 kg per hectare | +62.5% |
| 2009 | 4,964 kg per hectare | +9.4% |
| 2010 | 4,674 kg per hectare | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 4,367 kg per hectare | -6.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,316 kg per hectare | 972.3 kg per hectare | 2,136 kg per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,814 kg per hectare | 1,057 kg per hectare | 2,313 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,922 kg per hectare | 940 kg per hectare | 3,314 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,137 kg per hectare | 785.3 kg per hectare | 2,848 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,317 kg per hectare | 2,437 kg per hectare | 4,964 kg per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,520 kg per hectare | 4,367 kg per hectare | 4,674 kg per hectare | 2 |
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)
- Agriculture share gdp 2.83 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 2.83 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maize yield in South Africa?
- Maize yield in South Africa was 4,367 kg per hectare in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest maize yield recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4,964 kg per hectare in 2009.
- What is the lowest maize yield recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 785.3 kg per hectare in 1992.
- How does South Africa rank for maize yield?
- South Africa ranks 3rd out of 49 countries with data for 2011.
- Is maize yield rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Maize yield (kg per hectare). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Maize yield, measured as kilograms per hectare of harvested land. Production data on relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Crop harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.