Share of land area used for arable agriculture in South Africa
South Africa: Share of land area used for arable agriculture was 9.9% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Share of land area used for arable 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 arable agriculture in South Africa is 9.9%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for arable agriculture in South Africa peaked at 11.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.9%, in 1961.
That places South Africa 104th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 9.9% | — |
| 1962 | 9.9% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 10.0% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 10.0% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 10.1% | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 10.2% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 10.2% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 10.2% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 10.2% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 10.2% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 10.2% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 10.2% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 10.2% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 10.4% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 10.3% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 10.4% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 10.5% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 10.6% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 10.6% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 10.9% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 11.1% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 11.1% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 11.1% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 11.3% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 11.3% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 11.3% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 11.3% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 11.4% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 11.3% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 11.3% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 11.2% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 11.0% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 10.4% | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 10.4% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10.6% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 10.4% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 9.9% | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 9.9% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.0% | 9.9% | 10.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 10.1% | 10.1% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.3% | 10.2% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.1% | 10.6% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.9% | 10.4% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.9% | 9.9% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.9% | 9.9% | 9.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 101 Eswatini 10.3% compare
- 102 Portugal 10.1% compare
- 103 Switzerland 10.0% compare
- 105 Iran, Islamic Republic of 9.7% compare
- 106 Indonesia 9.4% compare
- 107 Uzbekistan 9.1% compare
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 arable agriculture in South Africa?
- Share of land area used for arable agriculture in South Africa was 9.9% 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 arable agriculture recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.9% in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for share of land area used for arable agriculture?
- South Africa ranks 104th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for arable 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 arable agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of land area used for arable agriculture, measured as a percentage of total land area. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow.