Arable land — Area in South Africa
South Africa: Arable land — Area was 12,000 1000 ha in 2024. ▬ Flat
Arable land — Area in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 12,000 1000 ha for arable land — area in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land — area in South Africa peaked at 13,812 1000 ha in 2000 and was at its lowest, 12,000 1000 ha, in 1961.
South Africa ranks 31st of 248 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Arable land — Area in South Africa, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12,000 1000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 12,050 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 12,100 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 12,150 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 12,200 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 12,209 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 12,218 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 12,227 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 12,236 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 12,245 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 12,254 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 12,263 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 12,272 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 12,281 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 12,290 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 12,299 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 12,308 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 12,317 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 12,326 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 12,335 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 12,344 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 12,355 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 12,355 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 12,355 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 12,355 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 12,600 1000 ha | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 12,550 1000 ha | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 12,600 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 12,700 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 12,800 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 12,900 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 13,163 1000 ha | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 13,426 1000 ha | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 13,450 1000 ha | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 13,500 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 13,650 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 13,700 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 13,700 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 13,760 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 13,812 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 13,685 1000 ha | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 13,700 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 13,600 1000 ha | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 13,300 1000 ha | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 13,175 1000 ha | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 12,600 1000 ha | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 12,600 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 12,800 1000 ha | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 12,660 1000 ha | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 12,533 1000 ha | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 12,033 1000 ha | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 12,000 1000 ha | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12,000 1000 ha | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 12,000 1000 ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,083 1000 ha, 11.1× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 12,000 1000 ha is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2,650 1000 ha, 4.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12,154 1000 ha | 12,000 1000 ha | 12,236 1000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 12,286 1000 ha | 12,245 1000 ha | 12,326 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 12,455 1000 ha | 12,335 1000 ha | 12,700 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 13,405 1000 ha | 12,800 1000 ha | 13,760 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 13,193 1000 ha | 12,600 1000 ha | 13,812 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 12,057 1000 ha | 12,000 1000 ha | 12,533 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,000 1000 ha | 12,000 1000 ha | 12,000 1000 ha | 5 |
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)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.2953 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land — area in South Africa?
- Arable land — area in South Africa was 12,000 1000 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest arable land — area recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13,812 1000 ha in 2000.
- What is the lowest arable land — area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,000 1000 ha in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for arable land — area?
- South Africa ranks 31st out of 248 countries with data for 2024.
- Is arable 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 Arable 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.