Agricultural land area — Arable and permanent crop land in South Africa
South Africa: Agricultural land area — Arable and permanent crop land was 12,413 Hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
12,413 Hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
14th
of 43 countries
All-time high
14,197 Hectares
in 2000
All-time low
12,413 Hectares
in 2012
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Agricultural land area — Arable and permanent crop land in South Africa, 1985–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, agricultural land area — arable and permanent crop land in South Africa stood at 12,413 Hectares. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land area — arable and permanent crop land in South Africa peaked at 14,197 Hectares in 2000 and was at its lowest, 12,413 Hectares, in 2012.
That places South Africa 14th out of 43 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Agricultural land area — Arable and permanent crop land in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 12,655 Hectares | — |
| 1986 | 12,900 Hectares | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 12,850 Hectares | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 12,900 Hectares | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 13,000 Hectares | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 13,100 Hectares | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 13,205 Hectares | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 13,473 Hectares | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 13,736 Hectares | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 13,765 Hectares | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 13,820 Hectares | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 13,990 Hectares | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 14,045 Hectares | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 14,060 Hectares | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 14,130 Hectares | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 14,197 Hectares | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 14,085 Hectares | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 14,100 Hectares | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 14,000 Hectares | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 13,680 Hectares | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 13,555 Hectares | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 12,960 Hectares | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 12,962 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 13,180 Hectares | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 13,060 Hectares | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 12,963 Hectares | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 12,446 Hectares | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 12,413 Hectares | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12,413 Hectares | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12,861 Hectares | 12,655 Hectares | 13,000 Hectares | 5 |
| 1990s | 13,732 Hectares | 13,100 Hectares | 14,130 Hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 13,578 Hectares | 12,960 Hectares | 14,197 Hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 12,471 Hectares | 12,413 Hectares | 12,963 Hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,413 Hectares | 12,413 Hectares | 12,413 Hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 20.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.012 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 3.25 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land area — arable and permanent crop land in South Africa?
- Agricultural land area — arable and permanent crop land in South Africa was 12,413 Hectares in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest agricultural land area — arable and permanent crop land recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14,197 Hectares in 2000.
- What is the lowest agricultural land area — arable and permanent crop land recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,413 Hectares in 2012.
- How does South Africa rank for agricultural land area — arable and permanent crop land?
- South Africa ranks 14th out of 43 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land area — arable and permanent crop land rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Agricultural land area — Arable and permanent crop land. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).