Savanna fires: Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry) … square in South Africa
South Africa: Savanna fires: Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry) … square was 28.71 t per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Savanna fires — Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry matter) in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in t per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 28.71 t per square kilometre for savanna fires — burning crop residues (biomass burned, dry matter) in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 57.6% on the previous year and up 93.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, savanna fires — burning crop residues (biomass burned, dry matter) in South Africa peaked at 28.71 t per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.21 t per square kilometre, in 2016.
That places South Africa 21st out of 188 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Savanna fires: Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry) … square in South Africa, year by year
| Year | t per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17.34 t per square kilometre | — |
| 1991 | 17.34 t per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 17.34 t per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 17.34 t per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 17.34 t per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 17.34 t per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 19.9 t per square kilometre | +14.7% |
| 1997 | 18.94 t per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1998 | 22.47 t per square kilometre | +18.7% |
| 1999 | 20.76 t per square kilometre | -7.6% |
| 2000 | 19.32 t per square kilometre | -6.9% |
| 2001 | 16.82 t per square kilometre | -13.0% |
| 2002 | 24.93 t per square kilometre | +48.2% |
| 2003 | 15.53 t per square kilometre | -37.7% |
| 2004 | 12.07 t per square kilometre | -22.3% |
| 2005 | 20.18 t per square kilometre | +67.1% |
| 2006 | 13.89 t per square kilometre | -31.1% |
| 2007 | 16.02 t per square kilometre | +15.3% |
| 2008 | 16.1 t per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 17.93 t per square kilometre | +11.4% |
| 2010 | 19.8 t per square kilometre | +10.4% |
| 2011 | 18.65 t per square kilometre | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 20.01 t per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 2013 | 14.83 t per square kilometre | -25.9% |
| 2014 | 14.53 t per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 11.42 t per square kilometre | -21.4% |
| 2016 | 8.21 t per square kilometre | -28.1% |
| 2017 | 14.46 t per square kilometre | +76.2% |
| 2018 | 13.88 t per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 10.58 t per square kilometre | -23.8% |
| 2020 | 11.09 t per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2021 | 26.1 t per square kilometre | +135.2% |
| 2022 | 18.21 t per square kilometre | -30.2% |
| 2023 | 28.71 t per square kilometre | +57.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 28.71 t per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.2871 t per square kilometre, 100.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 28.71 t per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 21.7 t per square kilometre, 1.3× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Savanna fires: Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry) … square 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +135.2% | 11.09 t per square kilometre | 26.1 t per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.61 t per square kilometre | 17.34 t per square kilometre | 22.47 t per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.28 t per square kilometre | 12.07 t per square kilometre | 24.93 t per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.64 t per square kilometre | 8.21 t per square kilometre | 20.01 t per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.03 t per square kilometre | 11.09 t per square kilometre | 28.71 t 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 — burning crop residues (biomass burned, dry matter) in South Africa?
- Savanna fires — burning crop residues (biomass burned, dry matter) in South Africa was 28.71 t per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest savanna fires — burning crop residues (biomass burned, dry matter) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 28.71 t per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest savanna fires — burning crop residues (biomass burned, dry matter) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.21 t per square kilometre in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for savanna fires — burning crop residues (biomass burned, dry matter)?
- South Africa ranks 21st out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
- Is savanna fires — burning crop residues (biomass burned, dry matter) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 93.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Savanna fires — Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry matter), 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 — Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry matter) 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 — Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry matter) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Savanna fires — Burning crop residues 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 — Burning crop residues (Biomass burned, dry matter) 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.