North America vs South Africa: Land area
North America
17.94 million sq. km
in 2023
South Africa
1.21 million sq. km
in 2023
North America rank
27th
South Africa rank
24th
Land area over time
- North America
- South Africa
How they compare
North America currently reports 17.94 million sq. km against 1.21 million sq. km in South Africa, a difference of 16.72 million sq. km.
That makes North America's figure about 14.8 times South Africa's.
Across all 63 years both countries report, North America has been ahead every year.
North America ranks 27th and South Africa ranks 24th of 47 groups.
North America has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North America | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.12 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 16.91 million sq. km | North America |
| 1970s | 18.12 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 16.91 million sq. km | North America |
| 1980s | 18.12 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 16.91 million sq. km | North America |
| 1990s | 18.12 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 16.91 million sq. km | North America |
| 2000s | 18.12 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 16.91 million sq. km | North America |
| 2010s | 18.11 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 16.90 million sq. km | North America |
| 2020s | 17.98 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 16.77 million sq. km | North America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land area, North America or South Africa?
- North America, at 17.94 million sq. km against 1.21 million sq. km in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land area between North America and South Africa?
- 16.72 million sq. km, with North America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North America and South Africa?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do North America and South Africa rank globally for land area?
- North America ranks 27th and South Africa ranks 24th of 47 groups.
- 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.