Rwanda vs South Africa: Exported deforestation
Rwanda
608.39 hectares
in 2023
South Africa
570.79 hectares
in 2023
Rwanda rank
59th
South Africa rank
61st
Exported deforestation over time
- Rwanda
- South Africa
How they compare
Rwanda currently reports 608.39 hectares against 570.79 hectares in South Africa, a difference of 37.6 hectares.
That makes Rwanda's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 19 shared years of data; in 2005 it was South Africa ahead.
Rwanda ranks 59th and South Africa ranks 61st of 178 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Rwanda | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 78.47 hectares | 531.29 hectares | 452.81 hectares | South Africa |
| 2010s | 133.43 hectares | 843.77 hectares | 710.34 hectares | South Africa |
| 2020s | 466.59 hectares | 738.1 hectares | 271.51 hectares | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher exported deforestation, Rwanda or South Africa?
- Rwanda, at 608.39 hectares against 570.79 hectares in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in exported deforestation between Rwanda and South Africa?
- 37.6 hectares, with Rwanda ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Rwanda and South Africa?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
- How do Rwanda and South Africa rank globally for exported deforestation?
- Rwanda ranks 59th and South Africa ranks 61st of 178 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Exported deforestation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Exported deforestation is the amount of annual deforestation that is driven by the production of food and forestry products that are exported for consumption in other countries. This is measured in hectares.