Country area — Area in South Africa
South Africa: Country area — Area was 121,960 1000 ha in 2024. ▬ Flat
Country area — Area in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
In 2024, country area — area in South Africa stood at 121,960 1000 ha. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, country area — area in South Africa peaked at 121,960 1000 ha in 2024 and was at its lowest, 121,909 1000 ha, in 1961.
That places South Africa 31st out of 267 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Country area — Area in South Africa, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 121,909 1000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 121,909 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 121,960 1000 ha | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 121,960 1000 ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10,988 1000 ha, 11.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 121,960 1000 ha is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27,420 1000 ha, 4.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 121,919 1000 ha | 121,909 1000 ha | 121,960 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 country area — area in South Africa?
- Country area — area in South Africa was 121,960 1000 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest country area — area recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 121,960 1000 ha in 2024.
- What is the lowest country area — area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 121,909 1000 ha in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for country area — area?
- South Africa ranks 31st out of 267 countries with data for 2024.
- Is country area — area rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. 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 Country area — Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
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.