South Africa — Forest area
Forest Area (% of Land Area) for South Africa, 1990–2024.
Forest area for South Africa was 18.79% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1990 to 2024. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 16.34% in 1990 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.41% per year.
South Africa ranks 134 of 214 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 63%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 22.46%, so South Africa sits below it. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 4%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 30 of 48 economies; Comoros (17.79%) is just below it.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 168 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 122nd of 178 in 1990 → 138th of 207 in 2000 → 138th of 209 in 2010 → 135th of 214 in 2020 → 133rd of 209 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18.79% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 18.72% | +0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 18.65% | +0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 18.57% | +0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 18.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 18.43% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 18.36% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 18.28% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 18.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 18.14% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 18.07% | +0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 18% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 17.92% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 17.85% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 17.78% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 17.71% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 17.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 17.56% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 17.49% | +0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 17.42% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 17.35% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 17.27% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 17.2% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 17.13% | +0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 17.06% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 16.99% | +0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 16.91% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 16.84% | +0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 16.77% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 16.7% | +0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 16.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 16.55% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 16.48% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 16.41% | +0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 16.34% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was South Africa’s Forest area in 1991?
16.41% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of land area, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is South Africa’s Forest area growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +15.0% in total — about 0.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator AG.LND.FRST.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 18.79%; 2023: 18.72%; 2022: 18.65%; 2021: 18.57%; 2020: 18.5%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
AG.LND.FRST.ZS — Forest Area (% of Land Area). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.