Cattle and Buffaloes — Share in total livestock in South Africa
South Africa: Cattle and Buffaloes — Share in total livestock was 63.77 %LSU in 2023. ▬ Flat
Cattle and Buffaloes — Share in total livestock in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %LSU.
Analysis
In 2023, cattle and buffaloes — share in total livestock in South Africa stood at 63.77 %LSU.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cattle and buffaloes — share in total livestock in South Africa peaked at 68.58 %LSU in 1979 and was at its lowest, 57.38 %LSU, in 1966.
South Africa ranks 52nd of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Cattle and Buffaloes — Share in total livestock in South Africa, year by year
| Year | %LSU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 62.37 %LSU | — |
| 1962 | 62.51 %LSU | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 62.59 %LSU | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 63.23 %LSU | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 62.98 %LSU | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 57.38 %LSU | -8.9% |
| 1967 | 58.29 %LSU | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 58.4 %LSU | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 59.15 %LSU | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 62.35 %LSU | +5.4% |
| 1971 | 62.98 %LSU | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 64.82 %LSU | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 65.11 %LSU | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 66.51 %LSU | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 66.89 %LSU | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 66.92 %LSU | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 66.87 %LSU | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 66.78 %LSU | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 68.58 %LSU | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 67.54 %LSU | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 66.33 %LSU | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 65.01 %LSU | -2.0% |
| 1983 | 65.71 %LSU | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 66.38 %LSU | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 65.12 %LSU | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 65.4 %LSU | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 65.51 %LSU | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 65.75 %LSU | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 65.59 %LSU | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 63.65 %LSU | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 63.94 %LSU | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 64.57 %LSU | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 64.78 %LSU | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 63.29 %LSU | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 63.26 %LSU | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 63.38 %LSU | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 63.74 %LSU | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 64.27 %LSU | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 64.61 %LSU | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 64 %LSU | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 63.24 %LSU | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 64.22 %LSU | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 64.35 %LSU | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 64.47 %LSU | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 66.02 %LSU | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 65.48 %LSU | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 65.42 %LSU | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 63.99 %LSU | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 63.29 %LSU | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 63 %LSU | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 62.92 %LSU | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 63.23 %LSU | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 64.78 %LSU | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 65.11 %LSU | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 64.85 %LSU | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 64.67 %LSU | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 64.11 %LSU | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 63.77 %LSU | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 63.57 %LSU | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 63.55 %LSU | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 63.67 %LSU | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 63.69 %LSU | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 63.77 %LSU | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 60.77 %LSU | 57.38 %LSU | 63.23 %LSU | 9 |
| 1970s | 65.78 %LSU | 62.35 %LSU | 68.58 %LSU | 10 |
| 1980s | 65.83 %LSU | 65.01 %LSU | 67.54 %LSU | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.95 %LSU | 63.26 %LSU | 64.78 %LSU | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.45 %LSU | 63.24 %LSU | 66.02 %LSU | 10 |
| 2010s | 64 %LSU | 62.92 %LSU | 65.11 %LSU | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.67 %LSU | 63.55 %LSU | 63.77 %LSU | 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)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, annual growth rate 42.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per capita 0.0047 t per person (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import value, annual growth rate 21.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cattle and buffaloes — share in total livestock in South Africa?
- Cattle and buffaloes — share in total livestock in South Africa was 63.77 %LSU in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest cattle and buffaloes — share in total livestock recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 68.58 %LSU in 1979.
- What is the lowest cattle and buffaloes — share in total livestock recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.38 %LSU in 1966.
- How does South Africa rank for cattle and buffaloes — share in total livestock?
- South Africa ranks 52nd out of 190 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cattle and buffaloes — share in total livestock rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. 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 Cattle and Buffaloes — Share in total livestock. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Livestock Patterns domain of FAOSTAT contains data on livestock numbers, shares of major livestock species and densities of livestock units in the agricultural land area. Values are calculated using Livestock Units (LSU), which facilitate aggregating information for different livestock types. Data are available by country, with global coverage, for the period 1961 to the most recent year available with annual updates. This methodology applies the LSU coefficients reported in the "Guidelines for the preparation of livestock sector reviews" (FAO, 2011). From this publication, LSU coefficients are computed by livestock type and by country. The reference unit used for the calculation of livestock units (=1 LSU) is the grazing equivalent of one adult dairy cow producing 3000 kg of milk annually, fed without additional concentrated foodstuffs. FAOSTAT agri-environmental indicators on livestock patterns closely follow the structure of the indicators in EUROSTAT.