Seed cotton, unginned — Area harvested in South Africa

South Africa: Seed cotton, unginned — Area harvested was 18,385 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
18,385 ha
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
39th
of 94 countries
All-time high
182,000 ha
in 1988
All-time low
5,111 ha
in 2010
Years of data
64
1961–2024

Seed cotton, unginned — Area harvested in South Africa, 1961–2024

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k196119922024

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.

Analysis

In 2024, seed cotton, unginned — area harvested in South Africa stood at 18,385 ha.

That represents a change of up 4.1% on the previous year and up 146.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, seed cotton, unginned — area harvested in South Africa peaked at 182,000 ha in 1988 and was at its lowest, 5,111 ha, in 2010.

South Africa ranks 39th of 94 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Seed cotton, unginned — Area harvested in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Seed cotton, unginned — Area harvested in South Africa, 1961 to 2024.
Year ha Change
1961 15,000 ha
1962 20,000 ha +33.3%
1963 32,000 ha +60.0%
1964 51,000 ha +59.4%
1965 42,000 ha -17.6%
1966 71,000 ha +69.0%
1967 71,000 ha +0.0%
1968 71,000 ha +0.0%
1969 81,000 ha +14.1%
1970 81,000 ha +0.0%
1971 24,000 ha -70.4%
1972 81,000 ha +237.5%
1973 81,000 ha +0.0%
1974 87,000 ha +7.4%
1975 46,000 ha -47.1%
1976 26,000 ha -43.5%
1977 63,000 ha +142.3%
1978 81,000 ha +28.6%
1979 100,000 ha +23.5%
1980 120,000 ha +20.0%
1981 115,000 ha -4.2%
1982 107,000 ha -7.0%
1983 105,000 ha -1.9%
1984 99,000 ha -5.7%
1985 107,000 ha +8.1%
1986 126,000 ha +17.8%
1987 160,000 ha +27.0%
1988 182,000 ha +13.8%
1989 174,000 ha -4.4%
1990 123,000 ha -29.3%
1991 91,000 ha -26.0%
1992 48,000 ha -47.3%
1993 35,000 ha -27.1%
1994 67,052 ha +91.6%
1995 54,000 ha -19.5%
1996 90,000 ha +66.7%
1997 83,000 ha -7.8%
1998 90,000 ha +8.4%
1999 99,000 ha +10.0%
2000 51,000 ha -48.5%
2001 56,692 ha +11.2%
2002 38,688 ha -31.8%
2003 22,574 ha -41.7%
2004 35,719 ha +58.2%
2005 21,763 ha -39.1%
2006 18,114 ha -16.8%
2007 10,563 ha -41.7%
2008 9,221 ha -12.7%
2009 6,814 ha -26.1%
2010 5,111 ha -25.0%
2011 13,145 ha +157.2%
2012 9,397 ha -28.5%
2013 6,827 ha -27.3%
2014 7,458 ha +9.2%
2015 15,428 ha +106.9%
2016 7,039 ha -54.4%
2017 17,841 ha +153.5%
2018 37,000 ha +107.4%
2019 43,000 ha +16.2%
2020 27,675 ha -35.6%
2021 16,313 ha -41.1%
2022 18,018 ha +10.5%
2023 17,664 ha -2.0%
2024 18,385 ha +4.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 50,444 ha 15,000 ha 81,000 ha 9
1970s 67,000 ha 24,000 ha 100,000 ha 10
1980s 129,500 ha 99,000 ha 182,000 ha 10
1990s 78,005 ha 35,000 ha 123,000 ha 10
2000s 27,115 ha 6,814 ha 56,692 ha 10
2010s 16,225 ha 5,111 ha 43,000 ha 10
2020s 19,611 ha 16,313 ha 27,675 ha 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 36 Malawi 41,892 ha compare
  2. 37 Ethiopia PDR 40,000 ha compare
  3. 38 Somalia 18,571 ha compare
  4. 40 Kenya 16,469 ha compare
  5. 41 Senegal 15,992 ha compare
  6. 42 Ghana 15,000 ha compare

See the full ranking of 134 places →

More agriculture & rural data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is seed cotton, unginned — area harvested in South Africa?
Seed cotton, unginned — area harvested in South Africa was 18,385 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest seed cotton, unginned — area harvested recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 182,000 ha in 1988.
What is the lowest seed cotton, unginned — area harvested recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5,111 ha in 2010.
How does South Africa rank for seed cotton, unginned — area harvested?
South Africa ranks 39th out of 94 countries with data for 2024.
Is seed cotton, unginned — area harvested rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 146.5%. 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 Seed cotton, unginned — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Seed cotton, unginned — Area harvested in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/seed-cotton-unginned-area-harvested/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Seed cotton, unginned — Area harvested
Unit
ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
134 places, 7,742 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

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.