Tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Africa
South Africa: Tree cover loss by dominant driver was 304.52 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 304.52 hectares for tree cover loss by dominant driver in 2024.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 47.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Africa peaked at 1,188 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 302.27 hectares, in 2023.
That places South Africa 49th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 379.38 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 368.13 hectares | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 607.95 hectares | +65.1% |
| 2004 | 776.98 hectares | +27.8% |
| 2005 | 797.6 hectares | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 817.97 hectares | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 725.42 hectares | -11.3% |
| 2008 | 551.34 hectares | -24.0% |
| 2009 | 578.81 hectares | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 454.4 hectares | -21.5% |
| 2011 | 404.72 hectares | -10.9% |
| 2012 | 379.3 hectares | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 420.26 hectares | +10.8% |
| 2014 | 579.65 hectares | +37.9% |
| 2015 | 640.83 hectares | +10.6% |
| 2016 | 590.08 hectares | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 1,188 hectares | +101.3% |
| 2018 | 773.22 hectares | -34.9% |
| 2019 | 590.29 hectares | -23.7% |
| 2020 | 658.85 hectares | +11.6% |
| 2021 | 593.94 hectares | -9.9% |
| 2022 | 431.43 hectares | -27.4% |
| 2023 | 302.27 hectares | -29.9% |
| 2024 | 304.52 hectares | +0.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 304.52 hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 135.51 hectares, 2.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 304.52 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 168.49 hectares, 1.8× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 622.62 hectares | 368.13 hectares | 817.97 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 602.07 hectares | 379.3 hectares | 1,188 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 458.2 hectares | 302.27 hectares | 658.85 hectares | 5 |
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 tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Africa?
- Tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Africa was 304.52 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1,188 hectares in 2017.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 302.27 hectares in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for tree cover loss by dominant driver?
- South Africa ranks 49th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tree cover loss by dominant driver rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tree cover loss by dominant driver. 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
Tree cover loss due to the expansion and intensification of roads, settlements, urban areas, or other built infrastructure.