Rye yields in South Africa
South Africa: Rye yields was 1.1 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.1 tonnes per hectare
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
58th
of 65 countries
All-time high
1.17 tonnes per hectare
in 2015
All-time low
0.0333 tonnes per hectare
in 1989
Years of data
64
1961–2024
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 58th out of 65 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.
Rye yields in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.1778 tonnes per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 0.1296 tonnes per hectare | -27.1% |
| 1963 | 0.1935 tonnes per hectare | +49.3% |
| 1964 | 0.1744 tonnes per hectare | -9.9% |
| 1965 | 0.0849 tonnes per hectare | -51.3% |
| 1966 | 0.0612 tonnes per hectare | -27.9% |
| 1967 | 0.097 tonnes per hectare | +58.5% |
| 1968 | 0.0636 tonnes per hectare | -34.4% |
| 1969 | 0.0737 tonnes per hectare | +15.9% |
| 1970 | 0.2917 tonnes per hectare | +295.8% |
| 1971 | 0.24 tonnes per hectare | -17.7% |
| 1972 | 0.2121 tonnes per hectare | -11.6% |
| 1973 | 0.1875 tonnes per hectare | -11.6% |
| 1974 | 0.1429 tonnes per hectare | -23.8% |
| 1975 | 0.1429 tonnes per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.1429 tonnes per hectare | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.2 tonnes per hectare | +40.0% |
| 1978 | 0.15 tonnes per hectare | -25.0% |
| 1979 | 0.1818 tonnes per hectare | +21.2% |
| 1980 | 0.1333 tonnes per hectare | -26.7% |
| 1981 | 0.1944 tonnes per hectare | +45.8% |
| 1982 | 0.2121 tonnes per hectare | +9.1% |
| 1983 | 0.1875 tonnes per hectare | -11.6% |
| 1984 | 0.2 tonnes per hectare | +6.7% |
| 1985 | 0.0769 tonnes per hectare | -61.6% |
| 1986 | 0.0714 tonnes per hectare | -7.2% |
| 1987 | 0.0769 tonnes per hectare | +7.7% |
| 1988 | 0.0556 tonnes per hectare | -27.7% |
| 1989 | 0.0333 tonnes per hectare | -40.1% |
| 1990 | 0.05 tonnes per hectare | +50.2% |
| 1991 | 0.0615 tonnes per hectare | +23.0% |
| 1992 | 0.0588 tonnes per hectare | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 0.0667 tonnes per hectare | +13.4% |
| 1994 | 0.0638 tonnes per hectare | -4.3% |
| 1995 | 0.0634 tonnes per hectare | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 0.0727 tonnes per hectare | +14.7% |
| 1997 | 0.08 tonnes per hectare | +10.0% |
| 1998 | 0.075 tonnes per hectare | -6.3% |
| 1999 | 0.1843 tonnes per hectare | +145.7% |
| 2000 | 0.2769 tonnes per hectare | +50.2% |
| 2001 | 0.3774 tonnes per hectare | +36.3% |
| 2002 | 0.4667 tonnes per hectare | +23.7% |
| 2003 | 0.1769 tonnes per hectare | -62.1% |
| 2004 | 0.31 tonnes per hectare | +75.2% |
| 2005 | 0.6364 tonnes per hectare | +105.3% |
| 2006 | 0.8824 tonnes per hectare | +38.7% |
| 2007 | 0.8857 tonnes per hectare | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 0.8387 tonnes per hectare | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 0.8251 tonnes per hectare | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 0.8897 tonnes per hectare | +7.8% |
| 2011 | 0.9409 tonnes per hectare | +5.8% |
| 2012 | 0.992 tonnes per hectare | +5.4% |
| 2013 | 1.04 tonnes per hectare | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 1.17 tonnes per hectare | +7.1% |
| 2016 | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 1.08 tonnes per hectare | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.11 tonnes per hectare | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 1.09 tonnes per hectare | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | +0.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.1 tonnes per hectare is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.88 tonnes per hectare, 58% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rye yields in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +295.8% | 0.0737 tonnes per hectare | 0.2917 tonnes per hectare |
| 1999 | +145.7% | 0.075 tonnes per hectare | 0.1843 tonnes per hectare |
| 2005 | +105.3% | 0.31 tonnes per hectare | 0.6364 tonnes per hectare |
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 (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 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 58th out of 65 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.