Small states vs South Africa: Forest area

Small states
483,073 sq. km
in 2023
South Africa
169,409 sq. km
in 2023
Small states rank
37th
South Africa rank
39th

Forest area over time

  • Small states
  • South Africa
200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k199020062023

How they compare

Small states currently reports 483,073 sq. km against 169,409 sq. km in South Africa, a difference of 313,664 sq. km.

That makes Small states's figure about 2.9 times South Africa's.

Across all 34 years both countries report, Small states has been ahead every year.

Small states ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 39th of 45 groups.

Small states has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Small states South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 471,754 sq. km 179,783 sq. km 291,971 sq. km Small states
2000s 479,726 sq. km 176,143 sq. km 303,583 sq. km Small states
2010s 484,851 sq. km 172,503 sq. km 312,348 sq. km Small states
2020s 483,458 sq. km 169,955 sq. km 313,504 sq. km Small states

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher forest area, Small states or South Africa?
Small states, at 483,073 sq. km against 169,409 sq. km in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in forest area between Small states and South Africa?
313,664 sq. km, with Small states ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Small states and South Africa?
34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
How do Small states and South Africa rank globally for forest area?
Small states ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 39th of 45 groups.
Where does this data come from?
FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Forest area (sq. km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Small states vs South Africa: Forest area. Statizoid, drawing on FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/forest-area-sq-km/small-states/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Forest area (sq. km)
Unit
sq. km
Source
FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
261 places, 8,639 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Forest area is land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in situ, whether productive or not, and excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems (for example, in fruit plantations and agroforestry systems) and trees in urban parks and gardens.