Arable land — all countries

Arable land — South Africa

Arable land in South Africa in 2023 — 12,000,000 ha. Ranked 24 in the world out of 206. Since 1961, the indicator has risen by 0%.

2023 12M ha +0% vs 2022
World rank 24of 206
Period maximum 13.81M ha2000
Period minimum 12M ha1961

Trend over time

1961–2023 · hectares

Arable land — South Africa, 1961–202312M12.5M13M13.5M14M19611968197519821989199620032010201720231961: 12,000,000 ha1963: 12,100,000 ha1965: 12,200,000 ha1967: 12,218,000 ha1969: 12,236,000 ha1971: 12,254,000 ha1973: 12,272,000 ha1975: 12,290,000 ha1977: 12,308,000 ha1979: 12,326,000 ha1981: 12,344,000 ha1983: 12,355,000 ha1985: 12,355,000 ha1987: 12,550,000 ha1989: 12,700,000 ha1991: 12,900,000 ha1993: 13,426,000 ha1995: 13,500,000 ha1997: 13,700,000 ha1999: 13,760,000 ha2001: 13,685,000 ha2003: 13,600,000 ha2005: 13,175,000 ha2007: 12,600,000 ha2009: 12,660,000 ha2011: 12,033,000 ha2013: 12,000,000 ha2015: 12,000,000 ha2017: 12,000,000 ha2019: 12,000,000 ha2021: 12,000,000 ha2023: 12,000,000 ha
Change over the period: +0 (+0%) Average annual rate: 0 %

Comparison, 2023

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

South Africa 12M ha
World computed 1.38B ha
Sub-Saharan Africa computed 240M ha
Southern Africa computed 13.59M ha
Arable land — South Africa, by year South Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year ha Change Change, %
2023 12M +0 +0%
2022 12M +0 +0%
2021 12M +0 +0%
2020 12M +0 +0%
2019 12M +0 +0%
2018 12M +0 +0%
2017 12M +0 +0%
2016 12M +0 +0%
2015 12M +0 +0%
2014 12M +0 +0%
2013 12M +0 +0%
2012 12M −33,000 −0.27%
2011 12.03M −500,000 −3.99%
2010 12.53M −127,000 −1%
2009 12.66M −140,000 −1.09%
2008 12.8M +200,000 +1.59%
2007 12.6M +0 +0%
2006 12.6M −575,000 −4.36%
2005 13.18M −125,000 −0.94%
2004 13.3M −300,000 −2.21%
2003 13.6M −100,000 −0.73%
2002 13.7M +15,000 +0.11%
2001 13.69M −127,000 −0.92%
2000 13.81M +52,000 +0.38%
1999 13.76M +60,000 +0.44%
1998 13.7M +0 +0%
1997 13.7M +50,000 +0.37%
1996 13.65M +150,000 +1.11%
1995 13.5M +50,000 +0.37%
1994 13.45M +24,000 +0.18%
1993 13.43M +263,000 +2%
1992 13.16M +263,000 +2.04%
1991 12.9M +100,000 +0.78%
1990 12.8M +100,000 +0.79%
1989 12.7M +100,000 +0.79%
1988 12.6M +50,000 +0.4%
1987 12.55M −50,000 −0.4%
1986 12.6M +245,000 +1.98%
1985 12.36M +0 +0%
1984 12.36M +0 +0%
1983 12.36M +0 +0%
1982 12.36M +11,000 +0.09%
1981 12.34M +9,000 +0.07%
1980 12.34M +9,000 +0.07%
1979 12.33M +9,000 +0.07%
1978 12.32M +9,000 +0.07%
1977 12.31M +9,000 +0.07%
1976 12.3M +9,000 +0.07%
1975 12.29M +9,000 +0.07%
1974 12.28M +9,000 +0.07%
1973 12.27M +9,000 +0.07%
1972 12.26M +9,000 +0.07%
1971 12.25M +9,000 +0.07%
1970 12.25M +9,000 +0.07%
1969 12.24M +9,000 +0.07%
1968 12.23M +9,000 +0.07%
1967 12.22M +9,000 +0.07%
1966 12.21M +9,000 +0.07%
1965 12.2M +50,000 +0.41%
1964 12.15M +50,000 +0.41%
1963 12.1M +50,000 +0.41%
1962 12.05M +50,000 +0.42%
1961 12M

Southern Africa, 2023

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

About the indicator

The area of arable land: land under annual crops, temporary meadows, kitchen gardens and land lying fallow for up to five years. It differs from agricultural land in excluding pasture and permanent crops — and since pasture makes up most of agricultural land, arable land is usually about a third the size. The world area of arable land has barely grown since the 1990s: the added output of recent decades came from yields, not from an expansion of fields.

Important: Land lying fallow for up to five years is included, abandoned land is not. Permanent crops — orchards, vineyards, plantations — do not count as arable land.

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