Ethiopia vs South Africa: Land area in hectares
Land area in hectares over time
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 121.31 million hectares against 112.85 million hectares in Ethiopia, a difference of 8.46 million hectares.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.
Across all 31 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Ethiopia ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 25th of 238 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 100.00 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 21.31 million hectares | South Africa |
| 2000s | 107.72 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 13.59 million hectares | South Africa |
| 2010s | 112.86 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 8.45 million hectares | South Africa |
| 2020s | 112.85 million hectares | 121.31 million hectares | 8.46 million hectares | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land area in hectares, Ethiopia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 121.31 million hectares against 112.85 million hectares in Ethiopia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land area in hectares between Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 8.46 million hectares, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2023.
- How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for land area in hectares?
- Ethiopia ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 25th of 238 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Land area in hectares. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total land area, measured in hectares. 100 hectares is one square kilometer. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.