South Africa vs Switzerland: Imported deforestation
South Africa
6,859 hectares
in 2023
Switzerland
5,865 hectares
in 2023
South Africa rank
40th
Switzerland rank
42nd
Imported deforestation over time
- South Africa
- Switzerland
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 6,859 hectares against 5,865 hectares in Switzerland, a difference of 994 hectares.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Switzerland's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 19 shared years of data; in 2005 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 40th and Switzerland ranks 42nd of 178 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Switzerland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20,948 hectares | 9,647 hectares | 11,300 hectares | South Africa |
| 2010s | 28,383 hectares | 13,888 hectares | 14,495 hectares | South Africa |
| 2020s | 8,358 hectares | 9,106 hectares | 747.93 hectares | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher imported deforestation, South Africa or Switzerland?
- South Africa, at 6,859 hectares against 5,865 hectares in Switzerland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in imported deforestation between South Africa and Switzerland?
- 994 hectares, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Switzerland?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and Switzerland rank globally for imported deforestation?
- South Africa ranks 40th and Switzerland ranks 42nd of 178 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Imported deforestation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Imported deforestation is the amount of deforestation in other countries that is driven by the production of food and forestry products that are imported. This is measured in hectares.