South Africa vs Sudan: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type
South Africa
4.08 million hectares
in 2024
Sudan
5.43 million hectares
in 2024
South Africa rank
8th
Sudan rank
6th
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type over time
- South Africa
- Sudan
How they compare
Sudan currently reports 5.43 million hectares against 4.08 million hectares in South Africa, a difference of 1.35 million hectares.
That makes Sudan's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
Across all 23 years both countries report, Sudan has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 8th and Sudan ranks 6th of 225 countries.
Sudan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.69 million hectares | 7.46 million hectares | 3.76 million hectares | Sudan |
| 2010s | 3.02 million hectares | 5.50 million hectares | 2.49 million hectares | Sudan |
| 2020s | 3.93 million hectares | 5.52 million hectares | 1.59 million hectares | Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher area burned by wildfires by land cover type, South Africa or Sudan?
- Sudan, at 5.43 million hectares against 4.08 million hectares in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in area burned by wildfires by land cover type between South Africa and Sudan?
- 1.35 million hectares, with Sudan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sudan?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Sudan rank globally for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- South Africa ranks 8th and Sudan ranks 6th 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.