Savanna fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Savanna fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre was 4.41 ha per square kilometre in 2023. ▬ Flat
Savanna fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in ha per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, savanna fires — burned area, per square kilometre in South Africa stood at 4.41 ha per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 69.8% on the previous year and up 49.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, savanna fires — burned area, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 4.41 ha per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.23 ha per square kilometre, in 2016.
South Africa ranks 23rd of 188 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Savanna fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | ha per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.93 ha per square kilometre | — |
| 1991 | 2.93 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.93 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2.93 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 2.93 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 2.93 ha per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 2.7 ha per square kilometre | -7.8% |
| 1997 | 2.53 ha per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 1998 | 3.01 ha per square kilometre | +18.8% |
| 1999 | 2.8 ha per square kilometre | -6.9% |
| 2000 | 2.77 ha per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 3.14 ha per square kilometre | +13.3% |
| 2002 | 4.03 ha per square kilometre | +28.4% |
| 2003 | 2.78 ha per square kilometre | -30.9% |
| 2004 | 2.37 ha per square kilometre | -14.7% |
| 2005 | 3.89 ha per square kilometre | +64.0% |
| 2006 | 2.82 ha per square kilometre | -27.7% |
| 2007 | 3.11 ha per square kilometre | +10.3% |
| 2008 | 3.13 ha per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 3.11 ha per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 3.53 ha per square kilometre | +13.6% |
| 2011 | 3.34 ha per square kilometre | -5.2% |
| 2012 | 3.1 ha per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 2.95 ha per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 2.96 ha per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 2.07 ha per square kilometre | -29.9% |
| 2016 | 1.23 ha per square kilometre | -40.6% |
| 2017 | 2.32 ha per square kilometre | +88.7% |
| 2018 | 2.37 ha per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 2.15 ha per square kilometre | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 2.25 ha per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 3.92 ha per square kilometre | +74.2% |
| 2022 | 2.6 ha per square kilometre | -33.7% |
| 2023 | 4.41 ha per square kilometre | +69.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 4.41 ha per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0549 ha per square kilometre, 80.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 4.41 ha per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.93 ha per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Savanna fires — Burned Area, per square kilometre 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +88.7% | 1.23 ha per square kilometre | 2.32 ha per square kilometre |
| 2021 | +74.2% | 2.25 ha per square kilometre | 3.92 ha per square kilometre |
| 2023 | +69.8% | 2.6 ha per square kilometre | 4.41 ha per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.86 ha per square kilometre | 2.53 ha per square kilometre | 3.01 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.11 ha per square kilometre | 2.37 ha per square kilometre | 4.03 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.6 ha per square kilometre | 1.23 ha per square kilometre | 3.53 ha per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.29 ha per square kilometre | 2.25 ha per square kilometre | 4.41 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 savanna fires — burned area, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Savanna fires — burned area, per square kilometre in South Africa was 4.41 ha per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest savanna fires — burned area, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.41 ha per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest savanna fires — burned area, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.23 ha per square kilometre in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for savanna fires — burned area, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 23rd out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
- Is savanna fires — burned area, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Savanna 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
Savanna 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.
Savanna fires — Burned Area ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Savanna 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
Savanna 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.