Ethiopia vs South Africa: Land area (sq. km)
Ethiopia
1.12 million sq. km
in 2024
South Africa
1.21 million sq. km
in 2024
Ethiopia rank
25th
South Africa rank
24th
Land area (sq. km) over time
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.21 million sq. km against 1.12 million sq. km in Ethiopia, a difference of 90,960 sq. km.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.
Across all 32 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Ethiopia ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 24th of 216 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.00 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 213,090 sq. km | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.07 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 139,315 sq. km | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.12 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 90,173 sq. km | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.12 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 90,664 sq. km | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land area, Ethiopia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.21 million sq. km against 1.12 million sq. km in Ethiopia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in land area between Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 90,960 sq. km, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2024.
- How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for land area?
- Ethiopia ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 24th of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Land area (sq. km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.