Share of land area used for agriculture in South Africa
South Africa: Share of land area used for agriculture was 79.4% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Share of land area used for agriculture in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of land area used for agriculture in South Africa is 79.4%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for agriculture in South Africa peaked at 83.5% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 77.5%, in 1982.
That places South Africa 6th out of 209 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Share of land area used for agriculture in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 83.5% | — |
| 1962 | 82.5% | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 81.6% | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 80.6% | -1.3% |
| 1965 | 79.6% | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 79.5% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 79.3% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 79.1% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 78.9% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 78.7% | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 78.5% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 78.3% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 78.1% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 77.9% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 77.7% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 77.5% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 77.5% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 77.8% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 78.0% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 78.2% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 78.6% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 78.8% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 79.1% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 79.5% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 79.9% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 80.2% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 80.4% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 80.7% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 80.7% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 80.8% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 80.8% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 80.9% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 80.8% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 80.8% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 80.7% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 80.5% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 80.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 79.9% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 79.9% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 80.1% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 80.0% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 79.9% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 79.4% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 79.4% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 79.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80.5% | 78.9% | 83.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 77.9% | 77.5% | 78.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.8% | 77.5% | 78.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 80.1% | 78.8% | 80.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.4% | 79.9% | 80.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.5% | 79.4% | 79.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.4% | 79.4% | 79.4% | 4 |
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 share of land area used for agriculture in South Africa?
- Share of land area used for agriculture in South Africa was 79.4% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of land area used for agriculture recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 83.5% in 1961.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for agriculture recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.5% in 1982.
- How does South Africa rank for share of land area used for agriculture?
- South Africa ranks 6th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for agriculture rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land area used for agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The share of land area used for agriculture, measured as a percentage of total land area. Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures.