Sugar cane yields in South Africa
South Africa: Sugar cane yields was 69.1 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
69.1 tonnes per hectare
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
36th
of 110 countries
All-time high
101.57 tonnes per hectare
in 1962
All-time low
41.7 tonnes per hectare
in 1993
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Sugar cane yields in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per hectare.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sugar cane yields in South Africa is 69.1 tonnes per hectare, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sugar cane yields in South Africa peaked at 101.57 tonnes per hectare in 1962 and was at its lowest, 41.7 tonnes per hectare, in 1993.
That places South Africa 36th out of 110 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Sugar cane yields in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 88.68 tonnes per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 101.57 tonnes per hectare | +14.5% |
| 1963 | 82.12 tonnes per hectare | -19.2% |
| 1964 | 80.24 tonnes per hectare | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 55.23 tonnes per hectare | -31.2% |
| 1966 | 81.09 tonnes per hectare | +46.8% |
| 1967 | 84.51 tonnes per hectare | +4.2% |
| 1968 | 75.33 tonnes per hectare | -10.9% |
| 1969 | 80.05 tonnes per hectare | +6.3% |
| 1970 | 73.4 tonnes per hectare | -8.3% |
| 1971 | 91.42 tonnes per hectare | +24.5% |
| 1972 | 93.15 tonnes per hectare | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 85.53 tonnes per hectare | -8.2% |
| 1974 | 90.18 tonnes per hectare | +5.4% |
| 1975 | 90.12 tonnes per hectare | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 95.44 tonnes per hectare | +5.9% |
| 1977 | 87.57 tonnes per hectare | -8.2% |
| 1978 | 89.24 tonnes per hectare | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 84.42 tonnes per hectare | -5.4% |
| 1980 | 66.14 tonnes per hectare | -21.7% |
| 1981 | 75.83 tonnes per hectare | +14.7% |
| 1982 | 72.63 tonnes per hectare | -4.2% |
| 1983 | 57.85 tonnes per hectare | -20.3% |
| 1984 | 81.89 tonnes per hectare | +41.5% |
| 1985 | 70.57 tonnes per hectare | -13.8% |
| 1986 | 66.2 tonnes per hectare | -6.2% |
| 1987 | 76.65 tonnes per hectare | +15.8% |
| 1988 | 71.67 tonnes per hectare | -6.5% |
| 1989 | 71.9 tonnes per hectare | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 68.32 tonnes per hectare | -5.0% |
| 1991 | 72.74 tonnes per hectare | +6.5% |
| 1992 | 48.29 tonnes per hectare | -33.6% |
| 1993 | 41.7 tonnes per hectare | -13.6% |
| 1994 | 55.18 tonnes per hectare | +32.3% |
| 1995 | 61.2 tonnes per hectare | +10.9% |
| 1996 | 69.92 tonnes per hectare | +14.2% |
| 1997 | 74.7 tonnes per hectare | +6.8% |
| 1998 | 72.48 tonnes per hectare | -3.0% |
| 1999 | 67.74 tonnes per hectare | -6.5% |
| 2000 | 73.95 tonnes per hectare | +9.2% |
| 2001 | 64.96 tonnes per hectare | -12.2% |
| 2002 | 71.64 tonnes per hectare | +10.3% |
| 2003 | 62.64 tonnes per hectare | -12.6% |
| 2004 | 60.42 tonnes per hectare | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 66.02 tonnes per hectare | +9.3% |
| 2006 | 66.36 tonnes per hectare | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 64.17 tonnes per hectare | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 67 tonnes per hectare | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 67.07 tonnes per hectare | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 59.08 tonnes per hectare | -11.9% |
| 2011 | 66.46 tonnes per hectare | +12.5% |
| 2012 | 67.2 tonnes per hectare | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 75.33 tonnes per hectare | +12.1% |
| 2014 | 65.06 tonnes per hectare | -13.6% |
| 2015 | 57.49 tonnes per hectare | -11.6% |
| 2016 | 60.32 tonnes per hectare | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 68.48 tonnes per hectare | +13.5% |
| 2018 | 69.72 tonnes per hectare | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 69.73 tonnes per hectare | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 73.1 tonnes per hectare | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 71.92 tonnes per hectare | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 69.31 tonnes per hectare | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 67.84 tonnes per hectare | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 69.1 tonnes per hectare | +1.9% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 69.1 tonnes per hectare is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60.97 tonnes per hectare, 1.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 69.1 tonnes per hectare is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 62.44 tonnes per hectare, 1.1× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80.98 tonnes per hectare | 55.23 tonnes per hectare | 101.57 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 88.05 tonnes per hectare | 73.4 tonnes per hectare | 95.44 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.13 tonnes per hectare | 57.85 tonnes per hectare | 81.89 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.23 tonnes per hectare | 41.7 tonnes per hectare | 74.7 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.42 tonnes per hectare | 60.42 tonnes per hectare | 73.95 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.89 tonnes per hectare | 57.49 tonnes per hectare | 75.33 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.26 tonnes per hectare | 67.84 tonnes per hectare | 73.1 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 sugar cane yields in South Africa?
- Sugar cane yields in South Africa was 69.1 tonnes per hectare in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest sugar cane yields recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 101.57 tonnes per hectare in 1962.
- What is the lowest sugar cane yields recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.7 tonnes per hectare in 1993.
- How does South Africa rank for sugar cane yields?
- South Africa ranks 36th out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sugar cane yields rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Sugar cane yields. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Yield is the amount produced per unit of land used, measured in tonnes per hectare.