Land under cereal production — all countries

Land under cereal production — South Africa

Land under cereal production in South Africa in 2024 — 3,356,840 ha. Ranked 21 in the world out of 79. Since 1961, the indicator has fallen by 44.9%.

2024 3.36M ha +0.67% vs 2023
World rank 21of 79
Period maximum 7.5M ha1972
Period minimum 2.93M ha2016

Trend over time

1961–2024 · hectares

Land under cereal production — South Africa, 1961–20242M4M6M8M19611968197519821989199620032010201720241961: 6,092,600 ha1963: 6,612,300 ha1965: 6,412,300 ha1967: 6,877,300 ha1969: 6,772,300 ha1971: 7,360,800 ha1973: 6,419,660 ha1975: 7,115,150 ha1977: 7,022,050 ha1979: 6,959,520 ha1981: 6,717,500 ha1983: 6,950,000 ha1985: 7,019,500 ha1987: 7,427,500 ha1989: 6,722,900 ha1991: 5,685,647 ha1993: 5,928,140 ha1995: 5,294,961 ha1997: 5,834,396 ha1999: 4,590,484 ha2001: 4,420,161 ha2003: 4,659,074 ha2005: 4,283,072 ha2007: 3,407,418 ha2009: 3,307,450 ha2011: 3,218,442 ha2013: 3,500,995 ha2015: 3,757,526 ha2017: 3,674,435 ha2019: 3,382,180 ha2021: 3,500,739 ha2023: 3,334,465 ha2024: 3,356,840 ha
Change over the period: −2.74M (−44.9%) Average annual rate: -0.94 %

Comparison, 2024

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

South Africa 3.36M ha
World 416M ha
Sub-Saharan Africa 85.37M ha
Land under cereal production — South Africa, by year South Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year ha Change Change, %
2024 3.36M +22,375 +0.67%
2023 3.33M −62,075 −1.83%
2022 3.4M −104,199 −2.98%
2021 3.5M −168,530 −4.59%
2020 3.67M +287,089 +8.49%
2019 3.38M +36,097 +1.08%
2018 3.35M −328,352 −8.94%
2017 3.67M +740,597 +25.24%
2016 2.93M −823,688 −21.92%
2015 3.76M +365,923 +10.79%
2014 3.39M −109,392 −3.12%
2013 3.5M +70,728 +2.06%
2012 3.43M +211,825 +6.58%
2011 3.22M −323,589 −9.14%
2010 3.54M +234,581 +7.09%
2009 3.31M −467,790 −12.39%
2008 3.78M +367,822 +10.79%
2007 3.41M +398,101 +13.23%
2006 3.01M −1.27M −29.74%
2005 4.28M −46,423 −1.07%
2004 4.33M −329,579 −7.07%
2003 4.66M −47,130 −1%
2002 4.71M +286,043 +6.47%
2001 4.42M −840,010 −15.97%
2000 5.26M +669,687 +14.59%
1999 4.59M −99,516 −2.12%
1998 4.69M −1.14M −19.61%
1997 5.83M +344,756 +6.28%
1996 5.49M +194,679 +3.68%
1995 5.29M −889,043 −14.38%
1994 6.18M +255,864 +4.32%
1993 5.93M +575,825 +10.76%
1992 5.35M −333,332 −5.86%
1991 5.69M −471,285 −7.65%
1990 6.16M −565,968 −8.42%
1989 6.72M −540,000 −7.44%
1988 7.26M −164,600 −2.22%
1987 7.43M +72,000 +0.98%
1986 7.36M +336,000 +4.79%
1985 7.02M −294,500 −4.03%
1984 7.31M +364,000 +5.24%
1983 6.95M −137,000 −1.93%
1982 7.09M +369,500 +5.5%
1981 6.72M +85,870 +1.29%
1980 6.63M −327,890 −4.71%
1979 6.96M +160,900 +2.37%
1978 6.8M −223,430 −3.18%
1977 7.02M −360,850 −4.89%
1976 7.38M +267,750 +3.76%
1975 7.12M −124,450 −1.72%
1974 7.24M +819,940 +12.77%
1973 6.42M −1.08M −14.38%
1972 7.5M +137,000 +1.86%
1971 7.36M +505,000 +7.37%
1970 6.86M +83,500 +1.23%
1969 6.77M −189,000 −2.72%
1968 6.96M +84,000 +1.22%
1967 6.88M +757,000 +12.37%
1966 6.12M −292,000 −4.55%
1965 6.41M +23,000 +0.36%
1964 6.39M −223,000 −3.37%
1963 6.61M +404,800 +6.52%
1962 6.21M +114,900 +1.89%
1961 6.09M

Southern Africa, 2024

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

ZA South Africa 3.36M BW Botswana 60,588

About the indicator

The area harvested for cereal crops: wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, sorghum, millet and mixes. It is the harvested area rather than the sown area, so with two harvests a year one field is counted twice — which is exactly why in the tropics the land under cereals can exceed the area of arable land. Together with the grain harvest this series gives the yield, which is what explains the growth of world production with areas almost unchanged.

Important: Harvested area, not sown area: a field with two harvests a year is counted twice. Land under cereals grown for animal feed is included, land cut for hay is not.

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