Nigeria vs South Africa: Soybean production
Nigeria
1.15 million tonnes
in 2024
South Africa
1.85 million tonnes
in 2024
Nigeria rank
13th
South Africa rank
12th
Soybean production over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.85 million tonnes against 1.15 million tonnes in Nigeria, a difference of 698,000 tonnes.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.6 times Nigeria's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 64 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Nigeria ahead.
Nigeria ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 12th of 115 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 62,000 tonnes | 3,591 tonnes | 58,409 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1970s | 66,300 tonnes | 17,540 tonnes | 48,760 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1980s | 100,500 tonnes | 41,315 tonnes | 59,185 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1990s | 264,300 tonnes | 108,900 tonnes | 155,400 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 2000s | 511,859 tonnes | 265,916 tonnes | 245,944 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 727,114 tonnes | 949,684 tonnes | 222,570 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.28 million tonnes | 2.00 million tonnes | 718,434 tonnes | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher soybean production, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.85 million tonnes against 1.15 million tonnes in Nigeria as of 2024.
- What is the difference in soybean production between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 698,000 tonnes, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 64 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2024.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for soybean production?
- Nigeria ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 12th of 115 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 Soybean production. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Soybean production is measured in tonnes.