Ethiopia vs South Africa: Land area in square kilometres
Ethiopia
1.13 million sq. km
in 2023
South Africa
1.21 million sq. km
in 2023
Ethiopia rank
25th
South Africa rank
24th
Land area in square kilometres over time
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.21 million sq. km against 1.13 million sq. km in Ethiopia, a difference of 84,590 sq. km.
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 25th and South Africa ranks 24th of 215 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 | 1.00 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 213,090 sq. km | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.08 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 135,930 sq. km | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.13 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 84,528 sq. km | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.13 million sq. km | 1.21 million sq. km | 84,570 sq. km | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land area in square kilometres, Ethiopia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.21 million sq. km against 1.13 million sq. km in Ethiopia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land area in square kilometres between Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 84,590 sq. km, 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 square kilometres?
- Ethiopia ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 24th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Land area in square kilometres. 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 square kilometres (km²). 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.