Land use hidden — Total area, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Land use hidden — Total area, per capita was 0.0193 Square kilometres per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.0193 Square kilometres per person
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
60th
of 181 countries
All-time high
0.0721 Square kilometres per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.0193 Square kilometres per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use hidden — Total area, per capita in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in Square kilometres per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0193 Square kilometres per person for land use hidden — total 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 — total area, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.0721 Square kilometres per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0193 Square kilometres per person, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 60th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Land use hidden — Total area, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Square kilometres per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0721 Square kilometres per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.07 Square kilometres per person | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 0.0679 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1964 | 0.0659 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 0.0639 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1966 | 0.0619 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 0.06 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1968 | 0.0582 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1969 | 0.0564 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1970 | 0.0547 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1971 | 0.0531 Square kilometres per person | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 0.0516 Square kilometres per person | -2.8% |
| 1973 | 0.0502 Square kilometres per person | -2.8% |
| 1974 | 0.0488 Square kilometres per person | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 0.0475 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 0.0462 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1977 | 0.045 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0437 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 0.0426 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 0.0413 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0399 Square kilometres per person | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 0.0386 Square kilometres per person | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 0.0372 Square kilometres per person | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.036 Square kilometres per person | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 0.0348 Square kilometres per person | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0337 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 0.0327 Square kilometres per person | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 0.0317 Square kilometres per person | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 0.0308 Square kilometres per person | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0299 Square kilometres per person | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0292 Square kilometres per person | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 0.0287 Square kilometres per person | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 0.0282 Square kilometres per person | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0277 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 0.0274 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 0.027 Square kilometres per person | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 0.0267 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0264 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.0261 Square kilometres per person | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.0259 Square kilometres per person | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 0.0256 Square kilometres per person | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 0.0254 Square kilometres per person | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 0.0251 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0249 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0246 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0244 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0241 Square kilometres per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0239 Square kilometres per person | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0236 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.0233 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 0.023 Square kilometres per person | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 0.0227 Square kilometres per person | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0223 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0219 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.0215 Square kilometres per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0213 Square kilometres per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.0212 Square kilometres per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.0208 Square kilometres per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.0205 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.0201 Square kilometres per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.0198 Square kilometres per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0195 Square kilometres per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.0193 Square kilometres per person | -1.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0193 Square kilometres per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.013 Square kilometres per person, 1.5× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0193 Square kilometres per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0168 Square kilometres per person, 1.2× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.064 Square kilometres per person | 0.0564 Square kilometres per person | 0.0721 Square kilometres per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0483 Square kilometres per person | 0.0426 Square kilometres per person | 0.0547 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0357 Square kilometres per person | 0.0308 Square kilometres per person | 0.0413 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0277 Square kilometres per person | 0.0261 Square kilometres per person | 0.0299 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0247 Square kilometres per person | 0.0236 Square kilometres per person | 0.0259 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0218 Square kilometres per person | 0.0205 Square kilometres per person | 0.0233 Square kilometres per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0197 Square kilometres per person | 0.0193 Square kilometres per person | 0.0201 Square kilometres per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 57 Turks and Caicos Islands 0.0206 Square kilometres per person compare
- 58 Liberia 0.0203 Square kilometres per person compare
- 59 Djibouti 0.0201 Square kilometres per person compare
- 61 Iran 0.0193 Square kilometres per person compare
- 62 Nicaragua 0.0191 Square kilometres per person compare
- 63 Georgia 0.0188 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 — total area, per capita in South Africa?
- Land use hidden — total area, per capita in South Africa was 0.0193 Square kilometres per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest land use hidden — total area, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0721 Square kilometres per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest land use hidden — total area, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0193 Square kilometres per person in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for land use hidden — total area, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use hidden — total 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 — Total 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 — Total 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 — Total area ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Land use hidden — Total 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 — Total area divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.