Agricultural land — Share in Land area in South Africa
South Africa: Agricultural land — Share in Land area was 79.42 % in 2024. ▬ Flat
Agricultural land — Share in Land area in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for agricultural land — share in land area in South Africa is 79.42 %, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land — share in land area in South Africa peaked at 83.53 % in 1961 and was at its lowest, 77.52 %, in 1981.
South Africa ranks 8th of 220 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Agricultural land — Share in Land area in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 83.53 % | — |
| 1962 | 82.55 % | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 81.61 % | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 80.58 % | -1.3% |
| 1965 | 79.64 % | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 79.49 % | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 79.26 % | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 79.08 % | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 78.89 % | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 78.7 % | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 78.51 % | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 78.32 % | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 78.12 % | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 77.95 % | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 77.74 % | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 77.54 % | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 77.54 % | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 77.54 % | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 77.53 % | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 77.53 % | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 77.52 % | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 77.52 % | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 77.52 % | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 77.52 % | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 77.52 % | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 77.82 % | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 78.02 % | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 78.23 % | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 78.56 % | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 78.81 % | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 79.14 % | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 79.53 % | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 79.91 % | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 80.18 % | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 80.39 % | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 80.69 % | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 80.74 % | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 80.78 % | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 80.83 % | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 80.89 % | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 80.8 % | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 80.81 % | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 80.73 % | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 80.46 % | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 80.36 % | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 79.87 % | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 79.87 % | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 80.05 % | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 79.96 % | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 79.87 % | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 79.45 % | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 79.42 % | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 79.42 % | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80.51 % | 78.89 % | 83.53 % | 9 |
| 1970s | 77.95 % | 77.53 % | 78.7 % | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.78 % | 77.52 % | 78.56 % | 10 |
| 1990s | 80.1 % | 78.81 % | 80.83 % | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.38 % | 79.87 % | 80.89 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.47 % | 79.42 % | 79.87 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.42 % | 79.42 % | 79.42 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 5 Turkmenistan 84.32 % compare
- 6 Saudi Arabia 81.68 % compare
- 7 Uganda 80.28 % compare
- 9 Kazakhstan 79.19 % compare
- 10 Comoros 78.91 % compare
- 11 Nigeria 77.09 % 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)
- 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 — share in land area in South Africa?
- Agricultural land — share in land area in South Africa was 79.42 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest agricultural land — share in land area recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 83.53 % in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land — share in land area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.52 % in 1981.
- How does South Africa rank for agricultural land — share in land area?
- South Africa ranks 8th out of 220 countries with data for 2024.
- Is agricultural land — share in land area 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 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Agricultural land — Share in Land area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The FAOSTAT Land Use domain contains data on twenty-one land use categories and twenty-three categories of irrigation and agricultural practices. Data are available yearly and by country, regional and global levels. The domain includes Land Use Indicators providing information on the percentage share of agricultural and forest land, and their sub-components, including irrigated areas and areas under organic agriculture, within a country land use matrix. Data are available at country, regional and global level, for the following elements: (in percentage) i) Share in Land area; ii) Share in Agricultural land, iii) Share in Cropland; and iv) Share in Forest land; (in ha/pc) v) Area per capita.