Senegal vs South Africa: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type
Senegal
3.38 million hectares
in 2024
South Africa
4.08 million hectares
in 2024
Senegal rank
11th
South Africa rank
8th
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type over time
- Senegal
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 4.08 million hectares against 3.38 million hectares in Senegal, a difference of 701,120 hectares.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Senegal's.
The two have swapped places 16 times across 23 shared years of data; in 2002 it was South Africa ahead.
Senegal ranks 11th and South Africa ranks 8th of 225 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Senegal averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Senegal | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.66 million hectares | 3.69 million hectares | 31,849 hectares | South Africa |
| 2010s | 3.43 million hectares | 3.02 million hectares | 409,820 hectares | Senegal |
| 2020s | 3.75 million hectares | 3.93 million hectares | 186,200 hectares | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher area burned by wildfires by land cover type, Senegal or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 4.08 million hectares against 3.38 million hectares in Senegal as of 2024.
- What is the difference in area burned by wildfires by land cover type between Senegal and South Africa?
- 701,120 hectares, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Senegal and South Africa?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2024.
- How do Senegal and South Africa rank globally for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- Senegal ranks 11th and South Africa ranks 8th of 225 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Area burned by wildfires 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 shrubland and grassland burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes open and closed shrublands and grasslands without a significant tree cover.