Woody savanna — Burned Area in South Africa
South Africa: Woody savanna — Burned Area was 74,023 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Woody savanna — Burned Area in South Africa, 1990–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 74,023 ha for woody savanna — burned area in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 265.8% on the previous year and up 73.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, woody savanna — burned area in South Africa peaked at 513,053 ha in 1999 and was at its lowest, 18,999 ha, in 2022.
That places South Africa 26th out of 220 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Woody savanna — Burned Area in South Africa, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 114,210 ha | — |
| 1991 | 114,210 ha | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 114,210 ha | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 114,210 ha | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 114,210 ha | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 114,210 ha | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 465,146 ha | +307.3% |
| 1997 | 442,154 ha | -4.9% |
| 1998 | 504,667 ha | +14.1% |
| 1999 | 513,053 ha | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 450,689 ha | -12.2% |
| 2001 | 29,817 ha | -93.4% |
| 2002 | 53,930 ha | +80.9% |
| 2003 | 53,556 ha | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 23,903 ha | -55.4% |
| 2005 | 57,294 ha | +139.7% |
| 2006 | 30,703 ha | -46.4% |
| 2007 | 61,134 ha | +99.1% |
| 2008 | 54,206 ha | -11.3% |
| 2009 | 47,988 ha | -11.5% |
| 2010 | 28,241 ha | -41.1% |
| 2011 | 22,015 ha | -22.0% |
| 2012 | 35,759 ha | +62.4% |
| 2013 | 38,748 ha | +8.4% |
| 2014 | 42,586 ha | +9.9% |
| 2015 | 23,281 ha | -45.3% |
| 2016 | 32,430 ha | +39.3% |
| 2017 | 34,212 ha | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 69,701 ha | +103.7% |
| 2019 | 31,584 ha | -54.7% |
| 2020 | 28,898 ha | -8.5% |
| 2021 | 23,134 ha | -19.9% |
| 2022 | 18,999 ha | -17.9% |
| 2023 | 20,238 ha | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 74,023 ha | +265.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 261,028 ha | 114,210 ha | 513,053 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 86,322 ha | 23,903 ha | 450,689 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 35,856 ha | 22,015 ha | 69,701 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 33,058 ha | 18,999 ha | 74,023 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 23 Argentina 90,730 ha compare
- 24 Central African Republic 87,842 ha compare
- 25 Nepal 81,154 ha compare
- 26 Côte d'Ivoire 2,843 ha compare
- 27 Portugal 68,022 ha compare
- 28 Bangladesh 46,868 ha compare
- 29 Cabo Verde 0 ha
- 29 China 44,305 ha compare
- 29 China, mainland 44,305 ha compare
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 woody savanna — burned area in South Africa?
- Woody savanna — burned area in South Africa was 74,023 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest woody savanna — burned area recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 513,053 ha in 1999.
- What is the lowest woody savanna — burned area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18,999 ha in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for woody savanna — burned area?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 220 countries with data for 2024.
- Is woody savanna — burned area rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 73.8%. 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 Woody savanna — 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.