Pulses, Total — Area harvested in South Africa
South Africa: Pulses, Total — Area harvested was 66,818 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Pulses, Total — Area harvested in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 66,818 ha for pulses, total — area harvested in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.5% on the previous year and down 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pulses, total — area harvested in South Africa peaked at 344,000 ha in 1963 and was at its lowest, 56,611 ha, in 2016.
That places South Africa 76th out of 169 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Pulses, Total — Area harvested in South Africa, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 210,500 ha | — |
| 1962 | 306,000 ha | +45.4% |
| 1963 | 344,000 ha | +12.4% |
| 1964 | 212,000 ha | -38.4% |
| 1965 | 314,000 ha | +48.1% |
| 1966 | 300,273 ha | -4.4% |
| 1967 | 307,139 ha | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 300,565 ha | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 285,000 ha | -5.2% |
| 1970 | 257,869 ha | -9.5% |
| 1971 | 167,000 ha | -35.2% |
| 1972 | 176,000 ha | +5.4% |
| 1973 | 183,000 ha | +4.0% |
| 1974 | 166,000 ha | -9.3% |
| 1975 | 156,000 ha | -6.0% |
| 1976 | 142,000 ha | -9.0% |
| 1977 | 132,000 ha | -7.0% |
| 1978 | 144,000 ha | +9.1% |
| 1979 | 170,000 ha | +18.1% |
| 1980 | 119,500 ha | -29.7% |
| 1981 | 116,000 ha | -2.9% |
| 1982 | 109,500 ha | -5.6% |
| 1983 | 113,000 ha | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 123,000 ha | +8.8% |
| 1985 | 102,000 ha | -17.1% |
| 1986 | 120,000 ha | +17.6% |
| 1987 | 127,000 ha | +5.8% |
| 1988 | 120,000 ha | -5.5% |
| 1989 | 117,500 ha | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 122,138 ha | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 111,608 ha | -8.6% |
| 1992 | 85,549 ha | -23.3% |
| 1993 | 79,351 ha | -7.2% |
| 1994 | 85,738 ha | +8.0% |
| 1995 | 86,952 ha | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 87,431 ha | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 78,394 ha | -10.3% |
| 1998 | 69,750 ha | -11.0% |
| 1999 | 100,206 ha | +43.7% |
| 2000 | 102,668 ha | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 107,057 ha | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 69,450 ha | -35.1% |
| 2003 | 73,923 ha | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 75,742 ha | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 75,175 ha | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 83,178 ha | +10.6% |
| 2007 | 76,209 ha | -8.4% |
| 2008 | 67,917 ha | -10.9% |
| 2009 | 67,245 ha | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 67,561 ha | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 64,922 ha | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 63,996 ha | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 67,867 ha | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 79,405 ha | +17.0% |
| 2015 | 83,766 ha | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 56,611 ha | -32.4% |
| 2017 | 66,630 ha | +17.7% |
| 2018 | 77,478 ha | +16.3% |
| 2019 | 86,445 ha | +11.6% |
| 2020 | 79,513 ha | -8.0% |
| 2021 | 80,726 ha | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 75,243 ha | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 63,951 ha | -15.0% |
| 2024 | 66,818 ha | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 286,609 ha | 210,500 ha | 344,000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 169,387 ha | 132,000 ha | 257,869 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 116,750 ha | 102,000 ha | 127,000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 90,712 ha | 69,750 ha | 122,138 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 79,856 ha | 67,245 ha | 107,057 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 71,468 ha | 56,611 ha | 86,445 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 73,250 ha | 63,951 ha | 80,726 ha | 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)
- 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 pulses, total — area harvested in South Africa?
- Pulses, total — area harvested in South Africa was 66,818 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest pulses, total — area harvested recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 344,000 ha in 1963.
- What is the lowest pulses, total — area harvested recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 56,611 ha in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for pulses, total — area harvested?
- South Africa ranks 76th out of 169 countries with data for 2024.
- Is pulses, total — area harvested rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Pulses, Total — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and 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 or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.