Tree cover loss in South Africa
South Africa: Tree cover loss was 39,484 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
39,484 hectares
Change on year
up 33.6%
World rank
59th
of 197 countries
All-time high
104,746 hectares
in 2006
All-time low
29,549 hectares
in 2023
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Tree cover loss in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2024, tree cover loss in South Africa stood at 39,484 hectares.
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 hectares in 2006 and was at its lowest, 29,549 hectares, 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 | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 77,135 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 47,518 hectares | -38.4% |
| 2003 | 92,371 hectares | +94.4% |
| 2004 | 72,375 hectares | -21.6% |
| 2005 | 104,441 hectares | +44.3% |
| 2006 | 104,746 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 46,814 hectares | -55.3% |
| 2008 | 81,191 hectares | +73.4% |
| 2009 | 67,047 hectares | -17.4% |
| 2010 | 61,533 hectares | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 69,385 hectares | +12.8% |
| 2012 | 84,624 hectares | +22.0% |
| 2013 | 55,916 hectares | -33.9% |
| 2014 | 69,254 hectares | +23.9% |
| 2015 | 70,049 hectares | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 73,423 hectares | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 93,924 hectares | +27.9% |
| 2018 | 63,545 hectares | -32.3% |
| 2019 | 75,980 hectares | +19.6% |
| 2020 | 62,003 hectares | -18.4% |
| 2021 | 51,854 hectares | -16.4% |
| 2022 | 40,889 hectares | -21.1% |
| 2023 | 29,549 hectares | -27.7% |
| 2024 | 39,484 hectares | +33.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 39,484 hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,110 hectares, 9.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 39,484 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7,735 hectares, 5.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 77,071 hectares | 46,814 hectares | 104,746 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 71,763 hectares | 55,916 hectares | 93,924 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 44,756 hectares | 29,549 hectares | 62,003 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 in South Africa?
- Tree cover loss in South Africa was 39,484 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 104,746 hectares in 2006.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 29,549 hectares 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 Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by 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).
About this data
Tree cover loss driven by all causes.