Forest fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Forest fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre was 0.0133 ha per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Forest fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in ha per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for forest fires — burned area, per square kilometre in South Africa is 0.0133 ha per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 39.6% on the previous year and down 44.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest fires — burned area, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 0.2035 ha per square kilometre in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.0095 ha per square kilometre, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 56th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forest fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | ha per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.0454 ha per square kilometre | — |
| 1991 | 0.0454 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.0454 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.0454 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0454 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.0454 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.1174 ha per square kilometre | +158.7% |
| 1997 | 0.1166 ha per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 0.2035 ha per square kilometre | +74.5% |
| 1999 | 0.1362 ha per square kilometre | -33.1% |
| 2000 | 0.0461 ha per square kilometre | -66.2% |
| 2001 | 0.0165 ha per square kilometre | -64.2% |
| 2002 | 0.0153 ha per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 2003 | 0.0375 ha per square kilometre | +145.3% |
| 2004 | 0.0139 ha per square kilometre | -62.9% |
| 2005 | 0.0558 ha per square kilometre | +300.2% |
| 2006 | 0.0165 ha per square kilometre | -70.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0612 ha per square kilometre | +270.4% |
| 2008 | 0.036 ha per square kilometre | -41.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0192 ha per square kilometre | -46.6% |
| 2010 | 0.0285 ha per square kilometre | +48.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0235 ha per square kilometre | -17.6% |
| 2012 | 0.0249 ha per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 0.024 ha per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 0.0333 ha per square kilometre | +38.6% |
| 2015 | 0.0161 ha per square kilometre | -51.5% |
| 2016 | 0.02 ha per square kilometre | +23.6% |
| 2017 | 0.0286 ha per square kilometre | +43.1% |
| 2018 | 0.0698 ha per square kilometre | +144.5% |
| 2019 | 0.0311 ha per square kilometre | -55.5% |
| 2020 | 0.0267 ha per square kilometre | -14.1% |
| 2021 | 0.018 ha per square kilometre | -32.7% |
| 2022 | 0.0095 ha per square kilometre | -46.9% |
| 2023 | 0.0133 ha per square kilometre | +39.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0133 ha per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.004 ha per square kilometre, 3.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0133 ha per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0207 ha per square kilometre, 64% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0846 ha per square kilometre | 0.0454 ha per square kilometre | 0.2035 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0318 ha per square kilometre | 0.0139 ha per square kilometre | 0.0612 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.03 ha per square kilometre | 0.0161 ha per square kilometre | 0.0698 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0169 ha per square kilometre | 0.0095 ha per square kilometre | 0.0267 ha per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More climate change data for South Africa
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 717.27 million kg (2050)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest fires — burned area, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Forest fires — burned area, per square kilometre in South Africa was 0.0133 ha per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest forest fires — burned area, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2035 ha per square kilometre in 1998.
- What is the lowest forest fires — burned area, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0095 ha per square kilometre in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for forest fires — burned area, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 56th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest fires — burned area, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Forest fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Forest fires — Burned Area 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.
Forest fires — Burned Area ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Forest fires — Burned Area Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- 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
Forest fires — Burned Area 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.