Rye yields in South Africa
South Africa: Rye yields was 1.1 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Rye yields in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025); Broadberry et al. (2015) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per hectare.
Analysis
In 2024, rye yields in South Africa stood at 1.1 tonnes per hectare.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rye yields in South Africa peaked at 1.17 tonnes per hectare in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.0333 tonnes per hectare, in 1989.
That places South Africa 57th out of 64 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1173 tonnes per hectare | 0.0612 tonnes per hectare | 0.1935 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1892 tonnes per hectare | 0.1429 tonnes per hectare | 0.2917 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1241 tonnes per hectare | 0.0333 tonnes per hectare | 0.2121 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0776 tonnes per hectare | 0.05 tonnes per hectare | 0.1843 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5676 tonnes per hectare | 0.1769 tonnes per hectare | 0.8857 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.05 tonnes per hectare | 0.8897 tonnes per hectare | 1.17 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | 1.09 tonnes per hectare | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 12.08 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.8% (2025)
- Rural population 23.43 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Rural population 36.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 3.36 million hectares (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rye yields in South Africa?
- Rye yields in South Africa was 1.1 tonnes per hectare in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025); Broadberry et al. (2015) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest rye yields recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.17 tonnes per hectare in 2015.
- What is the lowest rye yields recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0333 tonnes per hectare in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for rye yields?
- South Africa ranks 57th out of 64 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rye yields rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. 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 (2025); Broadberry et al. (2015) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Rye yields. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Yields are measured in tonnes per hectare.