Madagascar vs South Africa: Tree cover loss from wildfires
Madagascar
25,991 hectares
in 2024
South Africa
16,149 hectares
in 2024
Madagascar rank
19th
South Africa rank
22nd
Tree cover loss from wildfires over time
- Madagascar
- South Africa
How they compare
Madagascar currently reports 25,991 hectares against 16,149 hectares in South Africa, a difference of 9,842 hectares.
That makes Madagascar's figure about 1.6 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2001 it was South Africa ahead.
Madagascar ranks 19th and South Africa ranks 22nd of 152 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Madagascar averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Madagascar | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3,498 hectares | 4,020 hectares | 521.61 hectares | South Africa |
| 2010s | 19,720 hectares | 10,924 hectares | 8,797 hectares | Madagascar |
| 2020s | 22,270 hectares | 10,074 hectares | 12,196 hectares | Madagascar |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher tree cover loss from wildfires, Madagascar or South Africa?
- Madagascar, at 25,991 hectares against 16,149 hectares in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in tree cover loss from wildfires between Madagascar and South Africa?
- 9,842 hectares, with Madagascar ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Madagascar and South Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do Madagascar and South Africa rank globally for tree cover loss from wildfires?
- Madagascar ranks 19th and South Africa ranks 22nd of 152 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Tree cover loss from wildfires. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Tree cover loss due to fire with no visible human conversion or agricultural activity afterward. Fires may be started by natural causes (e.g. lightning) or may be related to human activities (accidental or deliberate).