Colombia vs South Africa: Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year
Colombia
0.8%
in 2026
South Africa
0.9%
in 2026
Colombia rank
56th
South Africa rank
51st
Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year over time
- Colombia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.9% against 0.8% in Colombia, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Colombia's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2012 it was South Africa ahead.
Colombia ranks 56th and South Africa ranks 51st of 236 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Colombia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.8% | 2.7% | 0.9% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 2.4% | 0.7% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year, Colombia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 0.9% against 0.8% in Colombia as of 2026.
- What is the difference in share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year between Colombia and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and South Africa?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do Colombia and South Africa rank globally for share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year?
- Colombia ranks 56th and South Africa ranks 51st of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Wildfire Information System (2026); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total area consumed by wildfires is recorded for each fire event, even if fires occur in the same location multiple times. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 28 August 2026.