Daily per capita protein supply in South Africa
South Africa: Daily per capita protein supply was 79.18 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
79.18 grams of protein per day per capita
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
125th
of 192 countries
All-time high
81.91 grams of protein per day per capita
in 2020
All-time low
64.81 grams of protein per day per capita
in 1989
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Daily per capita protein supply in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of protein per day per capita.
Analysis
The most recent figure for daily per capita protein supply in South Africa is 79.18 grams of protein per day per capita, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, daily per capita protein supply in South Africa peaked at 81.91 grams of protein per day per capita in 2020 and was at its lowest, 64.81 grams of protein per day per capita, in 1989.
South Africa ranks 125th of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Daily per capita protein supply in South Africa, year by year
| Year | grams of protein per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 74.61 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 71.76 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.8% |
| 1963 | 73.44 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 73.58 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 77.73 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.7% |
| 1966 | 75.44 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.0% |
| 1967 | 74.63 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 74.33 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 74.58 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 74.2 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 73.27 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 75.22 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 75.41 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 75.87 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 76.17 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 74.06 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.8% |
| 1977 | 74.89 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 75.24 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 74.79 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 73.9 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 72.07 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 73.92 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 71.04 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.9% |
| 1984 | 69.91 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 69.15 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 66.26 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 69.41 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 67.8 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 64.81 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 66.83 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 65.87 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 67.42 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 68.78 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 67.93 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 68.2 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 67.5 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 68.57 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 68.22 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 68.97 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 72.6 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.3% |
| 2001 | 72.8 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 72.01 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 73.15 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 75.63 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 76.93 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 78.01 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 79.56 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 79.83 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 79.08 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 78.94 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 79.18 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 79.69 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 79.84 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 81.2 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 79.89 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 80.78 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 79.5 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 80.63 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 79.85 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 81.91 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 79.64 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 78.87 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 79.18 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 79.18 grams of protein per day per capita is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 93.33 grams of protein per day per capita, 85% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 79.18 grams of protein per day per capita is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.04 grams of protein per day per capita, 1.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 74.45 grams of protein per day per capita | 71.76 grams of protein per day per capita | 77.73 grams of protein per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 74.91 grams of protein per day per capita | 73.27 grams of protein per day per capita | 76.17 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 69.83 grams of protein per day per capita | 64.81 grams of protein per day per capita | 73.92 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 67.83 grams of protein per day per capita | 65.87 grams of protein per day per capita | 68.97 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.96 grams of protein per day per capita | 72.01 grams of protein per day per capita | 79.83 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.95 grams of protein per day per capita | 78.94 grams of protein per day per capita | 81.2 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.9 grams of protein per day per capita | 78.87 grams of protein per day per capita | 81.91 grams of protein per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 122 Ethiopia 79.88 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 123 Iran 79.61 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 124 Lebanon 79.58 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 126 Myanmar 78.39 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 127 Moldova 77.92 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 128 Indonesia 77.8 grams of protein per day per capita compare
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is daily per capita protein supply in South Africa?
- Daily per capita protein supply in South Africa was 79.18 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest daily per capita protein supply recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 81.91 grams of protein per day per capita in 2020.
- What is the lowest daily per capita protein supply recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.81 grams of protein per day per capita in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for daily per capita protein supply?
- South Africa ranks 125th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is daily per capita protein supply rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Daily per capita protein supply. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower. This is the total of all agricultural produce, both crops and livestock.