FAO projections of arable land, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: FAO projections of arable land, per capita was 0.1964 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
FAO projections of arable land, per capita in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per person.
Analysis
In 2023, fao projections of arable land, per capita in South Africa stood at 0.1964 hectares per person. 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, fao projections of arable land, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.7207 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.1964 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places South Africa 77th out of 208 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
FAO projections of arable land, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.7207 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.7024 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1963 | 0.6848 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1964 | 0.6672 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1965 | 0.6501 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1966 | 0.631 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 0.6128 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 0.5949 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1969 | 0.5777 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1970 | 0.5608 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1971 | 0.5455 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 0.5306 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1973 | 0.5163 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 0.5025 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 0.4891 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 0.4766 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 0.4642 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 0.4527 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 0.4409 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 0.428 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 0.414 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 0.4003 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 0.3865 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.3734 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 0.3611 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.3565 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 0.3443 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1988 | 0.3352 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 0.328 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 0.3215 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 0.3168 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 0.3174 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 0.3172 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 0.3128 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 0.3103 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 0.31 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 0.3076 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 0.3042 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 0.3024 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 0.301 hectares per person | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 0.2961 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 0.2936 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 0.2887 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 0.2792 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 0.2739 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 0.2592 hectares per person | -5.4% |
| 2007 | 0.2565 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.2579 hectares per person | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 0.2525 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 0.2477 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 0.2349 hectares per person | -5.2% |
| 2012 | 0.2308 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 0.227 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.2233 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.2188 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.2168 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.2154 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.2118 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.2083 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.205 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.2018 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.199 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.1964 hectares per person | -1.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.1964 hectares per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1817 hectares per person, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.1964 hectares per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1905 hectares per person, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.649 hectares per person | 0.5777 hectares per person | 0.7207 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.4979 hectares per person | 0.4409 hectares per person | 0.5608 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3727 hectares per person | 0.328 hectares per person | 0.428 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.312 hectares per person | 0.3024 hectares per person | 0.3215 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2759 hectares per person | 0.2525 hectares per person | 0.301 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2235 hectares per person | 0.2083 hectares per person | 0.2477 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2005 hectares per person | 0.1964 hectares per person | 0.205 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 fao projections of arable land, per capita in South Africa?
- Fao projections of arable land, per capita in South Africa was 0.1964 hectares per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest fao projections of arable land, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7207 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest fao projections of arable land, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1964 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for fao projections of arable land, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 77th out of 208 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fao projections of arable land, 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 FAO projections of arable land, 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
FAO projections of arable land divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
FAO projections of arable land ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- FAO projections of arable land Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- 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
FAO projections of arable land divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.