Agricultural land — all countries

Agricultural land — South Africa

Agricultural land in South Africa in 2023 — 963,410 km². Ranked 13 in the world out of 209. Since 1961, the indicator has fallen by 4.9%.

2023 963,410 km² +0% vs 2022
World rank 13of 209
Period maximum 1.01M km²1961
Period minimum 940,330 km²1982

Trend over time

1961–2023 · km²

Agricultural land — South Africa, 1961–2023940,000960,000980,0001M1.02M19611968197519821989199620032010201720231961: 1,013,350 km²1963: 989,950 km²1965: 966,100 km²1967: 961,480 km²1969: 956,960 km²1971: 952,340 km²1973: 947,720 km²1975: 943,050 km²1977: 940,580 km²1979: 940,560 km²1981: 940,440 km²1983: 940,330 km²1985: 940,330 km²1987: 946,500 km²1989: 953,000 km²1991: 960,050 km²1993: 969,360 km²1995: 975,200 km²1997: 979,450 km²1999: 980,580 km²2001: 980,130 km²2003: 979,280 km²2005: 974,830 km²2007: 968,900 km²2009: 969,880 km²2011: 963,740 km²2013: 963,410 km²2015: 963,410 km²2017: 963,410 km²2019: 963,410 km²2021: 963,410 km²2023: 963,410 km²
Change over the period: −49,940 (−4.93%) Average annual rate: -0.08 %

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South Africa

South Africa 963,410 km²
World 47.92M km²
Sub-Saharan Africa 10.68M km²
Southern Africa computed 1.65M km²
Upper-middle-income countries computed 17.19M km²
Agricultural land — South Africa, by year South Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year km² Change Change, %
2023 963,410 +0 +0%
2022 963,410 +0 +0%
2021 963,410 +0 +0%
2020 963,410 +0 +0%
2019 963,410 +0 +0%
2018 963,410 +0 +0%
2017 963,410 +0 +0%
2016 963,410 +0 +0%
2015 963,410 +0 +0%
2014 963,410 +0 +0%
2013 963,410 +0 +0%
2012 963,410 −330 −0.03%
2011 963,740 −5,170 −0.53%
2010 968,910 −970 −0.1%
2009 969,880 −1,200 −0.12%
2008 971,080 +2,180 +0.22%
2007 968,900 +20 +0%
2006 968,880 −5,950 −0.61%
2005 974,830 −1,250 −0.13%
2004 976,080 −3,200 −0.33%
2003 979,280 −1,000 −0.1%
2002 980,280 +150 +0.02%
2001 980,130 −1,120 −0.11%
2000 981,250 +670 +0.07%
1999 980,580 +700 +0.07%
1998 979,880 +430 +0.04%
1997 979,450 +550 +0.06%
1996 978,900 +3,700 +0.38%
1995 975,200 +2,550 +0.26%
1994 972,650 +3,290 +0.34%
1993 969,360 +4,630 +0.48%
1992 964,730 +4,680 +0.49%
1991 960,050 +4,050 +0.42%
1990 956,000 +3,000 +0.31%
1989 953,000 +4,000 +0.42%
1988 949,000 +2,500 +0.26%
1987 946,500 +2,500 +0.26%
1986 944,000 +3,670 +0.39%
1985 940,330 +0 +0%
1984 940,330 +0 +0%
1983 940,330 +0 +0%
1982 940,330 −110 −0.01%
1981 940,440 −110 −0.01%
1980 940,550 −10 −0%
1979 940,560 −110 −0.01%
1978 940,670 +90 +0.01%
1977 940,580 −110 −0.01%
1976 940,690 −2,360 −0.25%
1975 943,050 −2,510 −0.27%
1974 945,560 −2,160 −0.23%
1973 947,720 −2,360 −0.25%
1972 950,080 −2,260 −0.24%
1971 952,340 −2,310 −0.24%
1970 954,650 −2,310 −0.24%
1969 956,960 −2,310 −0.24%
1968 959,270 −2,210 −0.23%
1967 961,480 −2,760 −0.29%
1966 964,240 −1,860 −0.19%
1965 966,100 −11,400 −1.17%
1964 977,500 −12,450 −1.26%
1963 989,950 −11,400 −1.14%
1962 1M −12,000 −1.18%
1961 1.01M

Southern Africa, 2023

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The area of agricultural land: arable land, land under permanent crops, and permanent meadows and pastures. Pasture makes up most of this figure almost everywhere, so the largest agricultural countries by area turn out to be not the main grain producers but countries with vast dry rangelands — Australia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia. The indicator serves as the denominator for the share of irrigated land.

Important: Pasture is included and usually predominates, so the figure is far larger than the area of arable land. FAO estimates for pasture in arid countries are approximate: the boundary between rangeland and wasteland is a matter of convention.

Source: FAOSTAT (FAO), license CC BY 4.0.