Exported deforestation in South Africa
South Africa: Exported deforestation was 570.79 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Exported deforestation in South Africa, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, exported deforestation in South Africa stood at 570.79 hectares.
The figure is down 6.3% on the previous year and down 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exported deforestation in South Africa peaked at 1,173 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 380.13 hectares, in 2005.
That places South Africa 61st out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Exported deforestation in South Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 380.13 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 433.82 hectares | +14.1% |
| 2007 | 495.65 hectares | +14.3% |
| 2008 | 684.67 hectares | +38.1% |
| 2009 | 662.17 hectares | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 602.87 hectares | -9.0% |
| 2011 | 499.23 hectares | -17.2% |
| 2012 | 533.94 hectares | +7.0% |
| 2013 | 639.68 hectares | +19.8% |
| 2014 | 805.33 hectares | +25.9% |
| 2015 | 907.24 hectares | +12.7% |
| 2016 | 1,161 hectares | +28.0% |
| 2017 | 1,173 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 1,166 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 948.77 hectares | -18.6% |
| 2020 | 929.48 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 843.19 hectares | -9.3% |
| 2022 | 608.94 hectares | -27.8% |
| 2023 | 570.79 hectares | -6.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 570.79 hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19.09 hectares, 29.9× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 570.79 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 578.35 hectares, 99% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 531.29 hectares | 380.13 hectares | 684.67 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 843.77 hectares | 499.23 hectares | 1,173 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 738.1 hectares | 570.79 hectares | 929.48 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.2953 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exported deforestation in South Africa?
- Exported deforestation in South Africa was 570.79 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exported deforestation recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1,173 hectares in 2017.
- What is the lowest exported deforestation recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 380.13 hectares in 2005.
- How does South Africa rank for exported deforestation?
- South Africa ranks 61st out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exported deforestation rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exported deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.