Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken in South Africa

South Africa: Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken was 39,700 in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
39,700
Change on year
down 60.4%
World rank
20th
of 168 countries
All-time high
107,099
in 2017
All-time low
-107,942
in 1997
Years of data
59
1961–2019

Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken in South Africa, 1961–2019

-100.0k-50.0k050.0k100.0k196119902019

Source: FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for net food imports by crop - rice, broken in South Africa is 39,700, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 60.4% on the previous year and up 420.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net food imports by crop - rice, broken in South Africa peaked at 107,099 in 2017 and was at its lowest, -107,942, in 1997.

South Africa ranks 20th of 168 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken in South Africa, 1961 to 2019.
Year Value Change
1961 -2 —
1962 -200 +9900.0%
1963 -2,925 +1362.5%
1964 -49 -98.3%
1965 -5,618 +11365.3%
1966 -262 -95.3%
1967 -66 -74.8%
1968 -45 -31.8%
1969 -38 -15.6%
1970 -24 -36.8%
1971 -23 -4.2%
1972 -25 +8.7%
1973 -37 +48.0%
1974 -50 +35.1%
1975 -450 +800.0%
1976 -12,000 +2566.7%
1977 -7,000 -41.7%
1978 -24,000 +242.9%
1979 -41,000 +70.8%
1980 -35,000 -14.6%
1981 0 -100.0%
1982 0 —
1983 0 —
1984 -23,253 —
1985 -54,000 +132.2%
1986 -9,325 -82.7%
1987 2,911 -131.2%
1988 -17,439 -699.1%
1989 4,890 -128.0%
1990 -150 -103.1%
1991 2,012 -1441.3%
1992 492 -75.5%
1993 1,260 +156.1%
1994 2,906 +130.6%
1995 -25,155 -965.6%
1996 -44,129 +75.4%
1997 -107,942 +144.6%
1998 7,774 -107.2%
1999 21,499 +176.6%
2000 15,383 -28.4%
2001 11,122 -27.7%
2002 20,274 +82.3%
2003 7,916 -61.0%
2004 7,089 -10.4%
2005 8,576 +21.0%
2006 5,723 -33.3%
2007 9,414 +64.5%
2008 18,279 +94.2%
2009 7,635 -58.2%
2010 11,163 +46.2%
2011 32,289 +189.3%
2012 7,635 -76.4%
2013 27,274 +257.2%
2014 19,395 -28.9%
2015 14,051 -27.6%
2016 15,484 +10.2%
2017 107,099 +591.7%
2018 100,312 -6.3%
2019 39,700 -60.4%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 39,700 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 172, 230.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 39,700 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8,184, 4.9× the median. (40 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1965 -11365.3% -49 -5,618
1962 -9900.0% -2 -200
1976 -2566.7% -450 -12,000
1991 +1441.3% -150 2,012
1963 -1362.5% -200 -2,925
1995 -965.6% 2,906 -25,155

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s -1,023 -5,618 -2 9
1970s -8,461 -41,000 -23 10
1980s -13,122 -54,000 4,890 10
1990s -14,143 -107,942 21,499 10
2000s 11,141 5,723 20,274 10
2010s 37,440 7,635 107,099 10

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 17 Philippines 51,810 compare
  2. 18 Belgium 49,908 compare
  3. 19 Cameroon 47,455 compare
  4. 21 Nepal 36,039 compare
  5. 22 Guinea 34,104 compare
  6. 23 Sri Lanka 28,997 compare

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is net food imports by crop - rice, broken in South Africa?
Net food imports by crop - rice, broken in South Africa was 39,700 in 2019, according to FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data.
What is the highest net food imports by crop - rice, broken recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 107,099 in 2017.
What is the lowest net food imports by crop - rice, broken recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was -107,942 in 1997.
How does South Africa rank for net food imports by crop - rice, broken?
South Africa ranks 20th out of 168 countries with data for 2019.
Is net food imports by crop - rice, broken rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 420.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data, published as part of Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/net-food-imports-by-crop-rice-broken/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Net food imports by crop - Rice, broken
Source
FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
168 places, 5,714 data points, 1961–2019
Last refreshed

Net food imports are generated from FAOSTAT, taking Export level (tonnes) from the Import level (tonnes) [both under Trade: Crops and Livestock Products]. Net food imports are a proxy for the country's vulnerability to global food prices.