Botswana vs South Africa: Area burned wildfires by type
Botswana
2.59 million
in 2025
South Africa
2.13 million
in 2025
Botswana rank
13th
South Africa rank
16th
Area burned wildfires by type over time
- Botswana
- South Africa
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 2.59 million against 2.13 million in South Africa, a difference of 453,660.
That makes Botswana's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2002 it was Botswana ahead.
Botswana ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 16th of 225 countries.
Botswana has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.40 million | 3.69 million | 706,751 | Botswana |
| 2010s | 5.35 million | 3.02 million | 2.34 million | Botswana |
| 2020s | 6.11 million | 3.63 million | 2.47 million | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher area burned wildfires by type, Botswana or South Africa?
- Botswana, at 2.59 million against 2.13 million in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in area burned wildfires by type between Botswana and South Africa?
- 453,660, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2025.
- How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for area burned wildfires by type?
- Botswana ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 16th of 225 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Area burned wildfires by type. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.