Milk production, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Milk production, per square kilometre was 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.14 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
104th
of 185 countries
All-time high
3.19 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2019
All-time low
1.74 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1964
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Milk production, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, milk production, per square kilometre in South Africa stood at 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, milk production, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 3.19 tonnes per square kilometre in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.74 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1964.
That places South Africa 104th out of 185 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Milk production, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.11 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 2.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 1963 | 1.99 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 1964 | 1.74 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.5% |
| 1965 | 2.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +19.6% |
| 1966 | 2.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 2.29 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 1968 | 2.43 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1969 | 2.35 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 1970 | 2.4 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 2.21 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.7% |
| 1972 | 2.38 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1973 | 2.3 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 2.04 tonnes per square kilometre | -11.2% |
| 1975 | 2.06 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 2.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 2.08 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 1.95 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 2.02 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 2.06 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 2.06 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 2.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 2.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1.98 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.9% |
| 1985 | 1.81 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.3% |
| 1986 | 1.81 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1.9 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 1.94 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 1.94 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 2.04 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1991 | 2.23 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 1992 | 2.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 1993 | 2.01 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 1.97 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 2.16 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.0% |
| 1996 | 2.34 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 1997 | 2.17 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 2.35 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 2.47 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 1.9 tonnes per square kilometre | -23.0% |
| 2001 | 2.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.8% |
| 2002 | 2.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.1% |
| 2003 | 2.14 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 2.18 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 2.51 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.3% |
| 2006 | 2.43 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 2.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 2.51 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 2.47 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 2.57 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 2.56 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 2.65 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 2.69 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 2.75 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 2.92 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 2016 | 2.93 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 3 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 3.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 3.19 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 3.18 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 3.15 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 3.1 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.26 tonnes per square kilometre, 74% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.22 tonnes per square kilometre, 2.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.13 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.74 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.43 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.15 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.95 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.4 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.97 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.81 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.1 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.18 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.97 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.47 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.29 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.9 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.51 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.84 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.56 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.19 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.1 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.18 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 101 Afghanistan 3.4 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 102 Ethiopia 3.35 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 103 Kuwait 3.3 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 105 Chile 3.01 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 106 Cape Verde 2.59 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 107 Thailand 2.5 tonnes per square kilometre 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 milk production, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Milk production, per square kilometre in South Africa was 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest milk production, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.19 tonnes per square kilometre in 2019.
- What is the lowest milk production, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.74 tonnes per square kilometre in 1964.
- How does South Africa rank for milk production, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 104th out of 185 countries with data for 2023.
- Is milk production, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Milk production, per square kilometre. 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
Milk production divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Milk production ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Milk production Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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
Milk production divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.