How many years of comparable data are there for Madagascar and South Africa?

24 years are reported by both, from 1780 to 2010.

Where does this data come from?

Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of land defined as natural habitat. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Madagascar vs South Africa: Share of land defined as natural habitat

Madagascar

35.78

in 2010

South Africa

33.55

in 2010

Madagascar rank

129th

South Africa rank

131st

Share of land defined as natural habitat over time

Madagascar
South Africa

How they compare

Madagascar currently reports 35.78 against 33.55 in South Africa, a difference of 2.23.

That makes Madagascar's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 24 shared years of data; in 1780 it was South Africa ahead.

Madagascar ranks 129th and South Africa ranks 131st of 168 countries.

Across the 24 decades both report, Madagascar averaged higher in 7 and South Africa in 17.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Madagascar	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1780s	83.15	94.77	11.63	South Africa
1790s	82.61	94.78	12.17	South Africa
1800s	82.05	94.79	12.74	South Africa
1810s	81.47	94.81	13.34	South Africa
1820s	80.76	94.82	14.07	South Africa
1830s	80.01	94.85	14.83	South Africa
1840s	79.23	94.87	15.64	South Africa
1850s	78.41	94.91	16.49	South Africa
1860s	77.56	93.61	16.05	South Africa
1870s	76.45	92.21	15.76	South Africa
1880s	75.28	88.62	13.34	South Africa
1890s	74.05	86.56	12.51	South Africa
1900s	72.74	82.34	9.6	South Africa
1910s	68.08	76.88	8.8	South Africa
1920s	64.24	71.34	7.09	South Africa
1930s	59.68	64.11	4.43	South Africa
1940s	54.44	55.46	1.02	South Africa
1950s	48.87	40.49	8.38	Madagascar
1960s	41.93	24.2	17.73	Madagascar
1970s	41.64	29.43	12.21	Madagascar
1980s	40.8	31.17	9.63	Madagascar
1990s	40.78	30.09	10.69	Madagascar
2000s	35.5	32.12	3.38	Madagascar
2010s	35.78	33.55	2.23	Madagascar

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of land defined as natural habitat, Madagascar or South Africa?: Madagascar, at 35.78 against 33.55 in South Africa as of 2010.
What is the difference in share of land defined as natural habitat between Madagascar and South Africa?: 2.23, with Madagascar ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Madagascar and South Africa?: 24 years are reported by both, from 1780 to 2010.
How do Madagascar and South Africa rank globally for share of land defined as natural habitat?: Madagascar ranks 129th and South Africa ranks 131st of 168 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of land defined as natural habitat. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Share of land defined as natural habitat
Source: Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 168 places, 4,032 data points, 1780–2010
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Natural ecosystems include forest, grassland, savanna, and shrublands, and other classes such as peatlands and marshes. It is total land minus land that is used by humans for agriculture – either croplands or pasture – or for infrastructure and urban environments.