Tree cover loss in South Africa
South Africa: Tree cover loss was 39,484 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
39,484
Change on year
up 33.6%
World rank
59th
of 197 countries
All-time high
104,746
in 2006
All-time low
29,549
in 2023
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Tree cover loss in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, tree cover loss in South Africa stood at 39,484.
The figure is up 33.6% on the previous year and down 43.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss in South Africa peaked at 104,746 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 29,549, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 59th of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Tree cover loss in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 77,135 | — |
| 2002 | 47,518 | -38.4% |
| 2003 | 92,371 | +94.4% |
| 2004 | 72,375 | -21.6% |
| 2005 | 104,441 | +44.3% |
| 2006 | 104,746 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 46,814 | -55.3% |
| 2008 | 81,191 | +73.4% |
| 2009 | 67,047 | -17.4% |
| 2010 | 61,533 | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 69,385 | +12.8% |
| 2012 | 84,624 | +22.0% |
| 2013 | 55,916 | -33.9% |
| 2014 | 69,254 | +23.9% |
| 2015 | 70,049 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 73,423 | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 93,924 | +27.9% |
| 2018 | 63,545 | -32.3% |
| 2019 | 75,980 | +19.6% |
| 2020 | 62,003 | -18.4% |
| 2021 | 51,854 | -16.4% |
| 2022 | 40,889 | -21.1% |
| 2023 | 29,549 | -27.7% |
| 2024 | 39,484 | +33.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 39,484 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,110, 9.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 39,484 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7,735, 5.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 77,071 | 46,814 | 104,746 | 9 |
| 2010s | 71,763 | 55,916 | 93,924 | 10 |
| 2020s | 44,756 | 29,549 | 62,003 | 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 in South Africa?
- Tree cover loss in South Africa was 39,484 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 104,746 in 2006.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 29,549 in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for tree cover loss?
- South Africa ranks 59th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tree cover loss rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Tree cover loss. 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).