Forest area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Forest area (sq. km), per capita was 0.0027 sq. km per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in sq. km per person.
Analysis
In 2023, forest area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa stood at 0.0027 sq. km per person. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.0045 sq. km per person in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.0027 sq. km per person, in 2023.
That places South Africa 98th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Forest area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | sq. km per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.0045 sq. km per person | — |
| 1991 | 0.0043 sq. km per person | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 0.0043 sq. km per person | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 0.0042 sq. km per person | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 0.0041 sq. km per person | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 0.004 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 0.004 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 0.0039 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 0.0039 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 0.0038 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 0.0038 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 0.0037 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 0.0037 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 0.0036 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 0.0036 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 0.0036 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 0.0035 sq. km per person | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 0.0035 sq. km per person | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 0.0034 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 0.0034 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 0.0033 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.0033 sq. km per person | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 0.0032 sq. km per person | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 0.0032 sq. km per person | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 0.0031 sq. km per person | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 0.003 sq. km per person | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 0.003 sq. km per person | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 0.003 sq. km per person | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 0.0029 sq. km per person | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 0.0029 sq. km per person | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 0.0028 sq. km per person | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 0.0028 sq. km per person | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 0.0027 sq. km per person | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 0.0027 sq. km per person | -1.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0027 sq. km per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0028 sq. km per person, 96% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0027 sq. km per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.003 sq. km per person, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0041 sq. km per person | 0.0038 sq. km per person | 0.0045 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0036 sq. km per person | 0.0034 sq. km per person | 0.0038 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0031 sq. km per person | 0.0029 sq. km per person | 0.0033 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0027 sq. km per person | 0.0027 sq. km per person | 0.0028 sq. km per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 95 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.0028 sq. km per person compare
- 96 Seychelles 0.0028 sq. km per person compare
- 97 Thailand 0.0028 sq. km per person compare
- 99 Turkey 0.0027 sq. km per person compare
- 100 Burkina Faso 0.0026 sq. km per person compare
- 101 Poland 0.0026 sq. km per person compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1917 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 1.49 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa?
- Forest area (sq. km), per capita in South Africa was 0.0027 sq. km per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest forest area (sq. km), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0045 sq. km per person in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area (sq. km), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0027 sq. km per person in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for forest area (sq. km), per capita?
- South Africa ranks 98th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area (sq. km), per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Forest area (sq. km), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Forest area (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Forest area (sq. km) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Forest area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Forest area (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.