Share of land defined as natural habitat in South Africa
South Africa: Share of land defined as natural habitat was 33.55 in 2010. ▼ Falling
Share of land defined as natural habitat in South Africa, 1780–2010
Source: Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of land defined as natural habitat in South Africa is 33.55, measured in 2010.
That represents a change of up 4.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land defined as natural habitat in South Africa peaked at 94.91 in 1850 and was at its lowest, 24.2, in 1960.
That places South Africa 131st out of 168 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 94.77 | 94.77 | 94.77 | 1 |
| 1790s | 94.78 | 94.78 | 94.78 | 1 |
| 1800s | 94.79 | 94.79 | 94.79 | 1 |
| 1810s | 94.81 | 94.81 | 94.81 | 1 |
| 1820s | 94.82 | 94.82 | 94.82 | 1 |
| 1830s | 94.85 | 94.85 | 94.85 | 1 |
| 1840s | 94.87 | 94.87 | 94.87 | 1 |
| 1850s | 94.91 | 94.91 | 94.91 | 1 |
| 1860s | 93.61 | 93.61 | 93.61 | 1 |
| 1870s | 92.21 | 92.21 | 92.21 | 1 |
| 1880s | 88.62 | 88.62 | 88.62 | 1 |
| 1890s | 86.56 | 86.56 | 86.56 | 1 |
| 1900s | 82.34 | 82.34 | 82.34 | 1 |
| 1910s | 76.88 | 76.88 | 76.88 | 1 |
| 1920s | 71.34 | 71.34 | 71.34 | 1 |
| 1930s | 64.11 | 64.11 | 64.11 | 1 |
| 1940s | 55.46 | 55.46 | 55.46 | 1 |
| 1950s | 40.49 | 40.49 | 40.49 | 1 |
| 1960s | 24.2 | 24.2 | 24.2 | 1 |
| 1970s | 29.43 | 29.43 | 29.43 | 1 |
| 1980s | 31.17 | 31.17 | 31.17 | 1 |
| 1990s | 30.09 | 30.09 | 30.09 | 1 |
| 2000s | 32.12 | 32.12 | 32.12 | 1 |
| 2010s | 33.55 | 33.55 | 33.55 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land defined as natural habitat in South Africa?
- Share of land defined as natural habitat in South Africa was 33.55 in 2010, according to Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 94.91 in 1850.
- What is the lowest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.2 in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for share of land defined as natural habitat?
- South Africa ranks 131st out of 168 countries with data for 2010.
- Is share of land defined as natural habitat rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land defined as natural habitat. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Natural ecosystems include forest, grassland, savanna, and shrublands, and other classes such as peatlands and marshes. It is total land minus land that is used by humans for agriculture – either croplands or pasture – or for infrastructure and urban environments.