Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) in South Africa
South Africa: Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) was 9.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Terrestrial protected areas in South Africa, 2013–2025
Source: Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring. Measured in % of total land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for terrestrial protected areas in South Africa is 9.6%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in South Africa peaked at 14.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 7.0%, in 2013.
South Africa ranks 155th of 213 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7.0% | — |
| 2014 | 8.9% | +27.1% |
| 2015 | 11.2% | +25.8% |
| 2016 | 14.1% | +25.9% |
| 2017 | 14.1% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8.0% | -43.3% |
| 2019 | 8.3% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 8.6% | +3.6% |
| 2021 | 8.7% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 9.3% | +6.9% |
| 2023 | 9.3% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 9.5% | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 9.6% | +1.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 9.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.6%, 62% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 9.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.9%, 57% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | -43.3% | 14.1% | 8.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 10.2% | 7.0% | 14.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 9.2% | 8.6% | 9.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 152 British Virgin Islands 10.5% compare
- 153 Kazakhstan 10.1% compare
- 154 Palestine 10.0% compare
- 156 Bosnia and Herzegovina 9.5% compare
- 157 Saint Martin (French part) 9.3% compare
- 158 Belarus 9.2% compare
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 terrestrial protected areas in South Africa?
- Terrestrial protected areas in South Africa was 9.6% in 2025, according to Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring.
- What is the highest terrestrial protected areas recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.1% in 2016.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.0% in 2013.
- How does South Africa rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- South Africa ranks 155th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring, published as part of Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Terrestrial protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. Marine areas, unclassified areas, littoral (intertidal) areas, and sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.