Unmanufactured tobacco — Area harvested in South Africa

South Africa: Unmanufactured tobacco — Area harvested was 4,083 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4,083 ha
Change on year
up 9.4%
World rank
43rd
of 139 countries
All-time high
46,847 ha
in 1978
All-time low
3,363 ha
in 2008
Years of data
64
1961–2024

Unmanufactured tobacco — Area harvested in South Africa, 1961–2024

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k50.0k196119922024

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for unmanufactured tobacco — area harvested in South Africa is 4,083 ha, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 9.4% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unmanufactured tobacco — area harvested in South Africa peaked at 46,847 ha in 1978 and was at its lowest, 3,363 ha, in 2008.

South Africa ranks 43rd of 139 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.

Unmanufactured tobacco — Area harvested in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Unmanufactured tobacco — Area harvested in South Africa, 1961 to 2024.
Year ha Change
1961 33,000 ha
1962 32,000 ha -3.0%
1963 32,000 ha +0.0%
1964 34,000 ha +6.2%
1965 31,000 ha -8.8%
1966 28,000 ha -9.7%
1967 36,000 ha +28.6%
1968 30,756 ha -14.6%
1969 34,000 ha +10.5%
1970 44,919 ha +32.1%
1971 36,000 ha -19.9%
1972 40,306 ha +12.0%
1973 38,000 ha -5.7%
1974 37,000 ha -2.6%
1975 39,000 ha +5.4%
1976 36,000 ha -7.7%
1977 46,000 ha +27.8%
1978 46,847 ha +1.8%
1979 39,691 ha -15.3%
1980 37,691 ha -5.0%
1981 31,000 ha -17.8%
1982 30,027 ha -3.1%
1983 33,641 ha +12.0%
1984 31,994 ha -4.9%
1985 34,041 ha +6.4%
1986 31,000 ha -8.9%
1987 26,000 ha -16.1%
1988 25,000 ha -3.8%
1989 25,000 ha +0.0%
1990 25,000 ha +0.0%
1991 22,000 ha -12.0%
1992 24,000 ha +9.1%
1993 24,000 ha +0.0%
1994 15,962 ha -33.5%
1995 13,996 ha -12.3%
1996 14,700 ha +5.0%
1997 13,800 ha -6.1%
1998 14,400 ha +4.3%
1999 13,900 ha -3.5%
2000 15,600 ha +12.2%
2001 15,000 ha -3.8%
2002 14,700 ha -2.0%
2003 13,600 ha -7.5%
2004 11,500 ha -15.4%
2005 9,200 ha -20.0%
2006 6,000 ha -34.8%
2007 5,000 ha -16.7%
2008 3,363 ha -32.7%
2009 3,562 ha +5.9%
2010 3,950 ha +10.9%
2011 5,400 ha +36.7%
2012 5,139 ha -4.8%
2013 5,200 ha +1.2%
2014 4,700 ha -9.6%
2015 4,891 ha +4.1%
2016 4,900 ha +0.2%
2017 4,600 ha -6.1%
2018 5,000 ha +8.7%
2019 4,900 ha -2.0%
2020 4,900 ha +0.0%
2021 4,700 ha -4.1%
2022 4,300 ha -8.5%
2023 3,733 ha -13.2%
2024 4,083 ha +9.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 32,306 ha 28,000 ha 36,000 ha 9
1970s 40,376 ha 36,000 ha 46,847 ha 10
1980s 30,539 ha 25,000 ha 37,691 ha 10
1990s 18,176 ha 13,800 ha 25,000 ha 10
2000s 9,752 ha 3,363 ha 15,600 ha 10
2010s 4,868 ha 3,950 ha 5,400 ha 10
2020s 4,343 ha 3,733 ha 4,900 ha 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 40 Cameroon 4,318 ha compare
  2. 40 Nicaragua 4,318 ha compare
  3. 42 Serbia 4,116 ha compare
  4. 44 Rwanda 4,064 ha compare
  5. 45 Japan 3,385 ha compare
  6. 46 Honduras 3,275 ha compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More agriculture & rural data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is unmanufactured tobacco — area harvested in South Africa?
Unmanufactured tobacco — area harvested in South Africa was 4,083 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest unmanufactured tobacco — area harvested recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 46,847 ha in 1978.
What is the lowest unmanufactured tobacco — area harvested recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 3,363 ha in 2008.
How does South Africa rank for unmanufactured tobacco — area harvested?
South Africa ranks 43rd out of 139 countries with data for 2024.
Is unmanufactured tobacco — area harvested 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 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 Unmanufactured tobacco — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unmanufactured tobacco — Area harvested in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/unmanufactured-tobacco-area-harvested/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Unmanufactured tobacco — Area harvested
Unit
ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
185 places, 10,091 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.