Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Africa
South Africa: Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted was 2.42 million hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Africa, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Africa stood at 2.42 million hectares. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Africa peaked at 2.42 million hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.92 million hectares, in 1990.
South Africa ranks 23rd of 185 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.98 million hectares | 1.92 million hectares | 2.05 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.13 million hectares | 2.06 million hectares | 2.19 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.27 million hectares | 2.21 million hectares | 2.34 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.39 million hectares | 2.35 million hectares | 2.42 million hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 569.81 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 8.9 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 25.85 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 1.31 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 40 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.1686 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 93.23 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.055 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1946 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 25.44 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Africa?
- Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Africa was 2.42 million hectares in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.42 million hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.92 million hectares in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted?
- South Africa ranks 23rd out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).