Kenya vs South Africa: Drivers of deforestation
Kenya
2,719 hectares
in 2023
South Africa
3,036 hectares
in 2023
Kenya rank
42nd
South Africa rank
39th
Drivers of deforestation over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 3,036 hectares against 2,719 hectares in Kenya, a difference of 317 hectares.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Kenya's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 23 shared years of data; in 2001 it was South Africa ahead.
Kenya ranks 42nd and South Africa ranks 39th of 166 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,844 hectares | 4,630 hectares | 2,786 hectares | South Africa |
| 2010s | 3,199 hectares | 5,000 hectares | 1,802 hectares | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2,841 hectares | 4,439 hectares | 1,597 hectares | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher drivers of deforestation, Kenya or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 3,036 hectares against 2,719 hectares in Kenya as of 2023.
- What is the difference in drivers of deforestation between Kenya and South Africa?
- 317 hectares, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2023.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for drivers of deforestation?
- Kenya ranks 42nd and South Africa ranks 39th of 166 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Drivers of deforestation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimates of commodity-driven deforestation, measured in hectares per year. This includes deforestation caused by the production of agricultural products and forestry, which account for approximately 90% of the world's deforestation.