Germany vs South Africa: FAO projections of arable land

Germany
11.88 million hectares
in 2023
South Africa
12.41 million hectares
in 2023
Germany rank
29th
South Africa rank
28th

FAO projections of arable land over time

  • Germany
  • South Africa
05.0M10.0M15.0M196119922023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 12.41 million hectares against 11.88 million hectares in Germany, a difference of 532,000 hectares.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Germany ahead.

Germany ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 28th of 224 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 12.61 million hectares 12.37 million hectares 248,000 hectares Germany
1970s 12.49 million hectares 12.56 million hectares 67,600 hectares South Africa
1980s 12.44 million hectares 12.75 million hectares 316,200 hectares South Africa
1990s 12.02 million hectares 13.73 million hectares 1.71 million hectares South Africa
2000s 12.07 million hectares 13.58 million hectares 1.51 million hectares South Africa
2010s 12.01 million hectares 12.47 million hectares 458,300 hectares South Africa
2020s 11.87 million hectares 12.41 million hectares 547,250 hectares South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher fao projections of arable land, Germany or South Africa?
South Africa, at 12.41 million hectares against 11.88 million hectares in Germany as of 2023.
What is the difference in fao projections of arable land between Germany and South Africa?
532,000 hectares, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and South Africa?
63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do Germany and South Africa rank globally for fao projections of arable land?
Germany ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 28th of 224 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as FAO projections of arable land. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Germany vs South Africa: FAO projections of arable land. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/fao-projections-of-arable-land-to-2050/germany/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
FAO projections of arable land
Unit
hectares
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
225 places, 13,015 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Land allocated to arable production or permanent crops, measured in hectares. Values from 2030 onwards are FAO's 2018 projections under three different scenarios.