Sunflower seed production in South Africa

South Africa: Sunflower seed production was 632,000 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
632,000 tonnes
Change on year
down 12.2%
World rank
13th
of 84 countries
All-time high
1.21 million tonnes
in 1999
All-time low
78,000 tonnes
in 1965
Years of data
64
1961–2024

Sunflower seed production in South Africa, 1961–2024

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Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

The most recent figure for sunflower seed production in South Africa is 632,000 tonnes, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.2% on the previous year and down 24.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sunflower seed production in South Africa peaked at 1.21 million tonnes in 1999 and was at its lowest, 78,000 tonnes, in 1965.

That places South Africa 13th out of 84 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 96,556 tonnes 78,000 tonnes 113,000 tonnes 9
1970s 265,300 tonnes 100,000 tonnes 481,000 tonnes 10
1980s 331,700 tonnes 186,000 tonnes 530,000 tonnes 10
1990s 575,703 tonnes 183,000 tonnes 1.21 million tonnes 10
2000s 666,739 tonnes 300,000 tonnes 966,543 tonnes 10
2010s 709,300 tonnes 490,000 tonnes 874,000 tonnes 10
2020s 732,810 tonnes 632,000 tonnes 845,550 tonnes 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 10 France 1.48 million tonnes compare
  2. 11 Tanzania 1.20 million tonnes compare
  3. 12 Spain 831,610 tonnes compare
  4. 14 Serbia 622,512 tonnes compare
  5. 15 Moldova 618,984 tonnes compare
  6. 16 United States 519,640 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 85 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is sunflower seed production in South Africa?
Sunflower seed production in South Africa was 632,000 tonnes in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest sunflower seed production recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1.21 million tonnes in 1999.
What is the lowest sunflower seed production recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 78,000 tonnes in 1965.
How does South Africa rank for sunflower seed production?
South Africa ranks 13th out of 84 countries with data for 2024.
Is sunflower seed production rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 Sunflower seed production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Sunflower seed production
Unit
tonnes
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
85 places, 4,053 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

Sunflower seed production is measured in tonnes.