Agricultural land — Area, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Agricultural land — Area, per square kilometre was 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
8th
of 186 countries
All-time high
0.0835 1000 ha per square kilometre
in 1961
All-time low
0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre
in 1982
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Agricultural land — Area, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in 1000 ha per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for agricultural land — area, per square kilometre in South Africa is 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land — area, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 0.0835 1000 ha per square kilometre in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre, in 1982.
South Africa ranks 8th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Agricultural land — Area, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0835 1000 ha per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.0825 1000 ha per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 0.0816 1000 ha per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 0.0806 1000 ha per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1965 | 0.0796 1000 ha per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 0.0795 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 0.0793 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 0.0791 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 0.0789 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 0.0787 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 0.0785 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 0.0783 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 0.0781 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 0.0779 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 0.0777 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.0778 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 0.078 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 0.0782 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 0.0786 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 0.0788 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 0.0791 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 0.0795 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 0.0799 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 0.0802 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 0.0804 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 0.0807 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 0.0807 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 0.0808 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.0808 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 0.0809 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 0.0808 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 0.0808 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.0807 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 0.0805 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 0.0804 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 0.0799 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 0.0799 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0801 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 0.08 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0799 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0393 1000 ha per square kilometre, 2.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0487 1000 ha per square kilometre, 1.6× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0805 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0789 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0835 1000 ha per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0779 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0787 1000 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0778 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0786 1000 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0801 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0788 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0808 1000 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0804 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0799 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0809 1000 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0795 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0799 1000 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 5 Saudi Arabia 0.081 1000 ha per square kilometre compare
- 6 Uganda 0.0803 1000 ha per square kilometre compare
- 7 Comoros 0.0795 1000 ha per square kilometre compare
- 9 Kazakhstan 0.0792 1000 ha per square kilometre compare
- 10 Nigeria 0.0771 1000 ha per square kilometre compare
- 11 Burundi 0.0765 1000 ha per square kilometre compare
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)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.4366 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.85 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land — area, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Agricultural land — area, per square kilometre in South Africa was 0.0794 1000 ha per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest agricultural land — area, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0835 1000 ha per square kilometre in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land — area, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0775 1000 ha per square kilometre in 1982.
- How does South Africa rank for agricultural land — area, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 8th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land — area, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Agricultural land — Area, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Agricultural land — Area divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Agricultural land — Area ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Agricultural land — Area Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Agricultural land — Area divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.