Nigeria vs South Africa: Share of land covered by forest
Nigeria
18.8%
in 2025
South Africa
18.9%
in 2025
Nigeria rank
136th
South Africa rank
135th
Share of land covered by forest over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 18.9% against 18.8% in Nigeria, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Nigeria ahead.
Nigeria ranks 136th and South Africa ranks 135th of 216 countries.
Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.1% | 16.7% | 6.4% | Nigeria |
| 2000s | 21.7% | 17.4% | 4.3% | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 20.3% | 18.1% | 2.2% | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 19.2% | 18.7% | 0.5% | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of land covered by forest, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 18.9% against 18.8% in Nigeria as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of land covered by forest between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for share of land covered by forest?
- Nigeria ranks 136th and South Africa ranks 135th of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (2013) and other sources β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of land covered by forest. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of land area covered by forest, including both natural forests and forest plantations.