Land use hidden — Land area, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Land use hidden — Land area, per capita was 0.0192 Square kilometres per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.0192 Square kilometres per person
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
58th
of 181 countries
All-time high
0.0717 Square kilometres per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.0192 Square kilometres per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use hidden — Land area, per capita in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in Square kilometres per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0192 Square kilometres per person for land use hidden — land area, per capita in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use hidden — land area, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.0717 Square kilometres per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0192 Square kilometres per person, in 2023.
That places South Africa 58th out of 181 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Land use hidden — Land area, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Square kilometres per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0717 Square kilometres per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.0696 Square kilometres per person | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 0.0676 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1964 | 0.0655 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 0.0635 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1966 | 0.0616 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 0.0597 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1968 | 0.0579 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1969 | 0.0561 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1970 | 0.0544 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1971 | 0.0529 Square kilometres per person | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 0.0514 Square kilometres per person | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 0.0499 Square kilometres per person | -2.8% |
| 1974 | 0.0485 Square kilometres per person | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 0.0472 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 0.046 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1977 | 0.0447 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0435 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 0.0424 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 0.0411 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0397 Square kilometres per person | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 0.0384 Square kilometres per person | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 0.0371 Square kilometres per person | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.0358 Square kilometres per person | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 0.0346 Square kilometres per person | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0335 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 0.0325 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 0.0315 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 0.0306 Square kilometres per person | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0298 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0291 Square kilometres per person | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 0.0286 Square kilometres per person | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 0.028 Square kilometres per person | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0276 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 0.0272 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 0.0269 Square kilometres per person | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 0.0266 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0262 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.026 Square kilometres per person | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.0257 Square kilometres per person | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 0.0255 Square kilometres per person | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 0.0253 Square kilometres per person | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 0.025 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0248 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0245 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0243 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 0.024 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0237 Square kilometres per person | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0235 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.0232 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0229 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 0.0226 Square kilometres per person | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0222 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0218 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.0214 Square kilometres per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0212 Square kilometres per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.021 Square kilometres per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.0207 Square kilometres per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.0204 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.02 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.0197 Square kilometres per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0194 Square kilometres per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.0192 Square kilometres per person | -1.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0192 Square kilometres per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0114 Square kilometres per person, 1.7× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0192 Square kilometres per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.015 Square kilometres per person, 1.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0637 Square kilometres per person | 0.0561 Square kilometres per person | 0.0717 Square kilometres per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0481 Square kilometres per person | 0.0424 Square kilometres per person | 0.0544 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0355 Square kilometres per person | 0.0306 Square kilometres per person | 0.0411 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0276 Square kilometres per person | 0.026 Square kilometres per person | 0.0298 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0246 Square kilometres per person | 0.0235 Square kilometres per person | 0.0257 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0217 Square kilometres per person | 0.0204 Square kilometres per person | 0.0232 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0196 Square kilometres per person | 0.0192 Square kilometres per person | 0.02 Square kilometres per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 55 Colombia 0.0212 Square kilometres per person compare
- 56 Turks and Caicos Islands 0.0206 Square kilometres per person compare
- 57 Djibouti 0.0201 Square kilometres per person compare
- 59 Georgia 0.0187 Square kilometres per person compare
- 60 Iran 0.0179 Square kilometres per person compare
- 61 Nicaragua 0.0176 Square kilometres per person 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)
- 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 land use hidden — land area, per capita in South Africa?
- Land use hidden — land area, per capita in South Africa was 0.0192 Square kilometres per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest land use hidden — land area, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0717 Square kilometres per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest land use hidden — land area, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0192 Square kilometres per person in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for land use hidden — land area, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use hidden — land area, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Land use hidden — Land area, per capita. 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
Land use hidden — Land area divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Land use hidden — Land area ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Land use hidden — Land area Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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
Land use hidden — Land area divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.