Closed shrubland — Burned Area in South Africa
South Africa: Closed shrubland — Burned Area was 36,154 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Closed shrubland — Burned Area in South Africa, 1990–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
In 2024, closed shrubland — burned area in South Africa stood at 36,154 ha.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 128.2% on the previous year and up 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, closed shrubland — burned area in South Africa peaked at 251,870 ha in 1998 and was at its lowest, 12,399 ha, in 2020.
That places South Africa 5th out of 219 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Closed shrubland — Burned Area in South Africa, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 91,228 ha | — |
| 1991 | 91,228 ha | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 91,228 ha | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 91,228 ha | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 91,228 ha | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 91,228 ha | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 240,609 ha | +163.7% |
| 1997 | 221,112 ha | -8.1% |
| 1998 | 251,870 ha | +13.9% |
| 1999 | 239,248 ha | -5.0% |
| 2000 | 242,720 ha | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 36,316 ha | -85.0% |
| 2002 | 139,785 ha | +284.9% |
| 2003 | 55,276 ha | -60.5% |
| 2004 | 43,134 ha | -22.0% |
| 2005 | 92,408 ha | +114.2% |
| 2006 | 39,905 ha | -56.8% |
| 2007 | 45,269 ha | +13.4% |
| 2008 | 45,945 ha | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 107,378 ha | +133.7% |
| 2010 | 69,849 ha | -35.0% |
| 2011 | 51,525 ha | -26.2% |
| 2012 | 67,996 ha | +32.0% |
| 2013 | 41,120 ha | -39.5% |
| 2014 | 34,431 ha | -16.3% |
| 2015 | 72,727 ha | +111.2% |
| 2016 | 105,654 ha | +45.3% |
| 2017 | 149,511 ha | +41.5% |
| 2018 | 81,769 ha | -45.3% |
| 2019 | 26,003 ha | -68.2% |
| 2020 | 12,399 ha | -52.3% |
| 2021 | 56,585 ha | +356.4% |
| 2022 | 23,083 ha | -59.2% |
| 2023 | 15,846 ha | -31.4% |
| 2024 | 36,154 ha | +128.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 150,021 ha | 91,228 ha | 251,870 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 84,814 ha | 36,316 ha | 242,720 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 70,058 ha | 26,003 ha | 149,511 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 28,813 ha | 12,399 ha | 56,585 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 2 Australia 307,633 ha compare
- 2 Australia and New Zealand 307,633 ha compare
- 3 Democratic Republic of the Congo 790.95 ha compare
- 4 Angola 266,628 ha compare
- 6 Namibia 17,439 ha compare
- 7 Botswana 15,858 ha compare
- 8 Brazil 9,279 ha compare
- 8 Timor-Leste 0 ha compare
- 8 Türkiye 0 ha compare
- 8 Viet Nam 0 ha compare
More climate change data for South Africa
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 34,365 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,741 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 22,624 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 44.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 807.99 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,495 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,119 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 376.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 19.32 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.45 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is closed shrubland — burned area in South Africa?
- Closed shrubland — burned area in South Africa was 36,154 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest closed shrubland — burned area recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 251,870 ha in 1998.
- What is the lowest closed shrubland — burned area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,399 ha in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for closed shrubland — burned area?
- South Africa ranks 5th out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is closed shrubland — burned area rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. 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, published as part of Closed shrubland — Burned Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions from Fires consists of estimates of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from biomass burning in a range of vegetation types and from fires in organic soils.