Open shrubland — Burned Area in South Africa
South Africa: Open shrubland — Burned Area was 159,213 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Open shrubland — Burned Area in South Africa, 1990–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
In 2024, open shrubland — burned area in South Africa stood at 159,213 ha.
That represents a change of down 85.1% on the previous year and up 94.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, open shrubland — burned area in South Africa peaked at 1.07 million ha in 2023 and was at its lowest, 71,315 ha, in 2019.
That places South Africa 6th out of 218 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.
Open shrubland — Burned Area in South Africa, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 311,380 ha | — |
| 1991 | 311,380 ha | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 311,380 ha | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 311,380 ha | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 311,380 ha | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 311,380 ha | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 283,753 ha | -8.9% |
| 1997 | 341,384 ha | +20.3% |
| 1998 | 459,165 ha | +34.5% |
| 1999 | 389,255 ha | -15.2% |
| 2000 | 198,102 ha | -49.1% |
| 2001 | 260,065 ha | +31.3% |
| 2002 | 548,477 ha | +110.9% |
| 2003 | 303,112 ha | -44.7% |
| 2004 | 82,927 ha | -72.6% |
| 2005 | 142,464 ha | +71.8% |
| 2006 | 75,844 ha | -46.8% |
| 2007 | 193,727 ha | +155.4% |
| 2008 | 133,687 ha | -31.0% |
| 2009 | 272,869 ha | +104.1% |
| 2010 | 342,427 ha | +25.5% |
| 2011 | 341,575 ha | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 605,129 ha | +77.2% |
| 2013 | 129,312 ha | -78.6% |
| 2014 | 81,933 ha | -36.6% |
| 2015 | 121,728 ha | +48.6% |
| 2016 | 129,831 ha | +6.7% |
| 2017 | 202,769 ha | +56.2% |
| 2018 | 255,645 ha | +26.1% |
| 2019 | 71,315 ha | -72.1% |
| 2020 | 134,487 ha | +88.6% |
| 2021 | 940,106 ha | +599.0% |
| 2022 | 760,724 ha | -19.1% |
| 2023 | 1.07 million ha | +40.5% |
| 2024 | 159,213 ha | -85.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 334,184 ha | 283,753 ha | 459,165 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 221,127 ha | 75,844 ha | 548,477 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 228,166 ha | 71,315 ha | 605,129 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 612,702 ha | 134,487 ha | 1.07 million ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 open shrubland — burned area in South Africa?
- Open shrubland — burned area in South Africa was 159,213 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest open shrubland — burned area recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.07 million ha in 2023.
- What is the lowest open shrubland — burned area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 71,315 ha in 2019.
- How does South Africa rank for open shrubland — burned area?
- South Africa ranks 6th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is open shrubland — burned area rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 94.3%. 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 Open 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.