South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year
South Africa
0.9%
in 2026
Zimbabwe
1.1%
in 2026
South Africa rank
51st
Zimbabwe rank
44th
Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year over time
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
How they compare
Zimbabwe currently reports 1.1% against 0.9% in South Africa, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes Zimbabwe's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 15 years both countries report, Zimbabwe has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 51st and Zimbabwe ranks 44th of 236 countries.
Zimbabwe has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2.7% | 7.0% | 4.3% | Zimbabwe |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 4.1% | 1.7% | Zimbabwe |
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, South Africa or Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe, at 1.1% against 0.9% in South Africa as of 2026.
- What is the difference in share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year between South Africa and Zimbabwe?
- 0.2%, with Zimbabwe ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zimbabwe?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do South Africa and Zimbabwe rank globally for share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year?
- South Africa ranks 51st and Zimbabwe ranks 44th 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.