Annual area burnt per wildfire in South Africa
South Africa: Annual area burnt per wildfire was 253.69 in 2026. ▬ Flat
Latest (2026)
253.69
Change on year
down 15.1%
World rank
100th
of 182 countries
All-time high
323.46
in 2024
All-time low
253.69
in 2026
Years of data
15
2012–2026
Annual area burnt per wildfire in South Africa, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual area burnt per wildfire in South Africa is 253.69, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 15.1% on the previous year and down 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt per wildfire in South Africa peaked at 323.46 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 253.69, in 2026.
South Africa ranks 100th of 182 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Annual area burnt per wildfire in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 298.76 | — |
| 2013 | 286.88 | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 294.59 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 295.94 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 295.71 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 314.68 | +6.4% |
| 2018 | 281.94 | -10.4% |
| 2019 | 283.03 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 266.22 | -5.9% |
| 2021 | 286.51 | +7.6% |
| 2022 | 297.23 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 312.69 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 323.46 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | 298.93 | -7.6% |
| 2026 | 253.69 | -15.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 253.69 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 265.76, 95% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 253.69 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 314.74, 81% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 293.94 | 281.94 | 314.68 | 8 |
| 2020s | 291.25 | 253.69 | 323.46 | 7 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt per wildfire in South Africa?
- Annual area burnt per wildfire in South Africa was 253.69 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt per wildfire recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 323.46 in 2024.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt per wildfire recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 253.69 in 2026.
- How does South Africa rank for annual area burnt per wildfire?
- South Africa ranks 100th out of 182 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt per wildfire rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual area burnt per wildfire. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).