Breakdown of habitable land area in South Africa

South Africa: Breakdown of habitable land area was 291,540 hectares in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
291,540 hectares
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
59th
of 235 countries
All-time high
291,550 hectares
in 2018
All-time low
228,890 hectares
in 2016
Years of data
5
2015–2019

Breakdown of habitable land area in South Africa, 2015–2019

0100.0k200.0k300.0k2015201720192015: 257.3k hectares2016: 228.9k hectares2017: 277.0k hectares2018: 291.6k hectares2019: 291.5k hectares

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2019, breakdown of habitable land area in South Africa stood at 291,540 hectares.

The figure is up 13.3% over five years.

That places South Africa 59th out of 235 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 56 Zimbabwe 322,680 hectares compare
  2. 57 Poland 317,000 hectares compare
  3. 58 Pakistan 313,860 hectares compare
  4. 60 France 265,500 hectares compare
  5. 61 Italy 260,020 hectares compare
  6. 62 United Kingdom 237,030 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is breakdown of habitable land area in South Africa?
Breakdown of habitable land area in South Africa was 291,540 hectares in 2019, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest breakdown of habitable land area recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 291,550 hectares in 2018.
What is the lowest breakdown of habitable land area recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 228,890 hectares in 2016.
How does South Africa rank for breakdown of habitable land area?
South Africa ranks 59th out of 235 countries with data for 2019.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Breakdown of habitable land area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Breakdown of habitable land area
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
235 places, 1,175 data points, 2015–2019
Last refreshed

Habitable land is defined as ice- and barren-free land. Agricultural land is the sum of croplands and pasture for grazing.