Malawi vs South Africa: Wildfire area burned by land cover type
Malawi
923.03 hectares
in 2025
South Africa
1,202 hectares
in 2025
Malawi rank
38th
South Africa rank
36th
Wildfire area burned by land cover type over time
- Malawi
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1,202 hectares against 923.03 hectares in Malawi, a difference of 278.97 hectares.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times Malawi's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2002 it was South Africa ahead.
Malawi ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 36th of 225 countries.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5,605 hectares | 1,360 hectares | 4,245 hectares | Malawi |
| 2010s | 10,866 hectares | 1,256 hectares | 9,610 hectares | Malawi |
| 2020s | 3,642 hectares | 1,191 hectares | 2,451 hectares | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher wildfire area burned by land cover type, Malawi or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1,202 hectares against 923.03 hectares in Malawi as of 2025.
- What is the difference in wildfire area burned by land cover type between Malawi and South Africa?
- 278.97 hectares, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and South Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2025.
- How do Malawi and South Africa rank globally for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
- Malawi ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 36th of 225 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Wildfire area burned by land cover type. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Area of other land types burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes wetlands, urban areas, snow and ice, bare ground, and water bodies.