Surface area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Surface area (sq. km), per capita was 0.0191 sq. km per person in 2024. ▼ Falling
Surface area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in sq. km per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0191 sq. km per person for surface area (sq. km), per capita in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, surface area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.0721 sq. km per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0191 sq. km per person, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 71st of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Surface area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | sq. km per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0721 sq. km per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.07 sq. km per person | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 0.0679 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1964 | 0.0659 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 0.0639 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1966 | 0.0619 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 0.06 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1968 | 0.0582 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1969 | 0.0564 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1970 | 0.0547 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1971 | 0.0531 sq. km per person | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 0.0516 sq. km per person | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 0.0502 sq. km per person | -2.8% |
| 1974 | 0.0488 sq. km per person | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 0.0475 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 0.0462 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1977 | 0.045 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0437 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 0.0426 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 0.0413 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0399 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 0.0386 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 0.0372 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.036 sq. km per person | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 0.0348 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0337 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 0.0327 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 0.0317 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 0.0308 sq. km per person | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0299 sq. km per person | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0292 sq. km per person | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 0.0287 sq. km per person | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 0.0282 sq. km per person | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0277 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 0.0274 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 0.027 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 0.0267 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0264 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.0261 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.0259 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 0.0256 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 0.0254 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 0.0251 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0249 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0246 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0244 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0241 sq. km per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0239 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0236 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.0233 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 0.023 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 0.0227 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0223 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0219 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.0215 sq. km per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0213 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.0212 sq. km per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.0208 sq. km per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.0205 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.0201 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.0198 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0195 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.0193 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 0.0191 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0191 sq. km per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0129 sq. km per person, 1.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0191 sq. km per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0156 sq. km per person, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.064 sq. km per person | 0.0564 sq. km per person | 0.0721 sq. km per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0483 sq. km per person | 0.0426 sq. km per person | 0.0547 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0357 sq. km per person | 0.0308 sq. km per person | 0.0413 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0277 sq. km per person | 0.0261 sq. km per person | 0.0299 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0247 sq. km per person | 0.0236 sq. km per person | 0.0259 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0218 sq. km per person | 0.0205 sq. km per person | 0.0233 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0196 sq. km per person | 0.0191 sq. km per person | 0.0201 sq. km per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1917 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 1.49 hectares per person (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is surface area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa?
- Surface area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa was 0.0191 sq. km per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest surface area (sq. km), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0721 sq. km per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest surface area (sq. km), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0191 sq. km per person in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for surface area (sq. km), per capita?
- South Africa ranks 71st out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is surface area (sq. km), per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Surface area (sq. km), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Surface area (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Surface area (sq. km) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Surface area FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Surface area (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.