Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita was 0.0329 hectares per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita in South Africa, 2002–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita in South Africa is 0.0329 hectares per person, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 48.4% on the previous year and down 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.099 hectares per person in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.0238 hectares per person, in 2016.
South Africa ranks 30th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 0.099 hectares per person | — |
| 2003 | 0.067 hectares per person | -32.3% |
| 2004 | 0.0572 hectares per person | -14.6% |
| 2005 | 0.0926 hectares per person | +61.9% |
| 2006 | 0.0665 hectares per person | -28.2% |
| 2007 | 0.0712 hectares per person | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 0.0711 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.0696 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0789 hectares per person | +13.5% |
| 2011 | 0.0747 hectares per person | -5.4% |
| 2012 | 0.0666 hectares per person | -10.9% |
| 2013 | 0.0622 hectares per person | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0612 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0428 hectares per person | -30.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0238 hectares per person | -44.3% |
| 2017 | 0.0469 hectares per person | +96.7% |
| 2018 | 0.0468 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0414 hectares per person | -11.5% |
| 2020 | 0.0434 hectares per person | +4.9% |
| 2021 | 0.0755 hectares per person | +73.9% |
| 2022 | 0.0492 hectares per person | -34.9% |
| 2023 | 0.083 hectares per person | +68.8% |
| 2024 | 0.0638 hectares per person | -23.1% |
| 2025 | 0.0329 hectares per person | -48.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0743 hectares per person | 0.0572 hectares per person | 0.099 hectares per person | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.0545 hectares per person | 0.0238 hectares per person | 0.0789 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.058 hectares per person | 0.0329 hectares per person | 0.083 hectares per person | 6 |
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 area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita in South Africa?
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita in South Africa was 0.0329 hectares per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.099 hectares per person in 2002.
- What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0238 hectares per person in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 30th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.