New Zealand vs South Africa: Forest certified for sustainable use
New Zealand
1.08 million thousands of hectares
in 2024
South Africa
1.45 million thousands of hectares
in 2024
New Zealand rank
37th
South Africa rank
34th
Forest certified for sustainable use over time
- New Zealand
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.45 million thousands of hectares against 1.08 million thousands of hectares in New Zealand, a difference of 371,480 thousands of hectares.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times New Zealand's.
Across all 14 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
New Zealand ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 34th of 246 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 thousands of hectares | 0 thousands of hectares | 0 thousands of hectares | — |
| 2000s | 460,905 thousands of hectares | 1.36 million thousands of hectares | 900,210 thousands of hectares | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.24 million thousands of hectares | 1.53 million thousands of hectares | 291,110 thousands of hectares | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.28 million thousands of hectares | 1.59 million thousands of hectares | 307,382 thousands of hectares | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher forest certified for sustainable use, New Zealand or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.45 million thousands of hectares against 1.08 million thousands of hectares in New Zealand as of 2024.
- What is the difference in forest certified for sustainable use between New Zealand and South Africa?
- 371,480 thousands of hectares, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and South Africa?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2024.
- How do New Zealand and South Africa rank globally for forest certified for sustainable use?
- New Zealand ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 34th of 246 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – processed by Our World in Data, published as Forest certified for sustainable use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Forest area certified under an independently verified certification scheme (thousands of hectares).