Land area in hectares in South Africa
South Africa: Land area in hectares was 121.31 million hectares in 2023. ▬ Flat
Land area in hectares in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 121.31 million hectares for land area in hectares in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area in hectares in South Africa peaked at 121.31 million hectares in 1961 and was at its lowest, 121.31 million hectares, in 1961.
That places South Africa 24th out of 233 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land area in hectares in South Africa?
- Land area in hectares in South Africa was 121.31 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land area in hectares recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 121.31 million hectares in 1961.
- What is the lowest land area in hectares recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 121.31 million hectares in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for land area in hectares?
- South Africa ranks 24th out of 233 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land area in hectares rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 Land area in hectares. 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
Total land area, measured in hectares. 100 hectares is one square kilometer. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.