Primary Forest — Area in South Africa
South Africa: Primary Forest — Area was 427.55 1000 ha in 2025. ▼ Falling
Primary Forest — Area in South Africa, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary forest — area in South Africa is 427.55 1000 ha, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary forest — area in South Africa peaked at 464.76 1000 ha in 1990 and was at its lowest, 427.55 1000 ha, in 2025.
South Africa ranks 50th of 182 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Primary Forest — Area in South Africa, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 464.76 1000 ha | — |
| 1991 | 463.7 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 462.63 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 461.57 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 460.51 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 459.45 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 458.38 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 457.32 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 456.26 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 455.19 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 454.13 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 453.07 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 452 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 450.94 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 449.88 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 448.82 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 447.75 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 446.69 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 445.63 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 444.56 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 443.5 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 442.44 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 441.38 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 440.31 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 439.25 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 438.19 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 437.13 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 436.06 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 435 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 433.93 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 432.87 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 431.81 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 430.74 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 429.68 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 428.61 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 427.55 1000 ha | -0.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 427.55 1000 ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 41.45 1000 ha, 10.3× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 427.55 1000 ha is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 220 1000 ha, 1.9× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 459.98 1000 ha | 455.19 1000 ha | 464.76 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 449.35 1000 ha | 444.56 1000 ha | 454.13 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 438.72 1000 ha | 433.93 1000 ha | 443.5 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 430.21 1000 ha | 427.55 1000 ha | 432.87 1000 ha | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 48 Caribbean 487.3 1000 ha compare
- 49 Kyrgyzstan 463.4 1000 ha compare
- 51 Bhutan 413 1000 ha compare
- 52 Côte d'Ivoire 407.36 1000 ha compare
- 52 Cote d'Ivoire 407.36 1000 ha compare
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)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary forest — area in South Africa?
- Primary forest — area in South Africa was 427.55 1000 ha in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest primary forest — area recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 464.76 1000 ha in 1990.
- What is the lowest primary forest — area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 427.55 1000 ha in 2025.
- How does South Africa rank for primary forest — area?
- South Africa ranks 50th out of 182 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary forest — area rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Primary Forest — Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The FAOSTAT Land Use domain contains data on twenty-one land use categories and twenty-three categories of irrigation and agricultural practices. Data are available yearly and by country, regional and global levels. The domain includes Land Use Indicators providing information on the percentage share of agricultural and forest land, and their sub-components, including irrigated areas and areas under organic agriculture, within a country land use matrix. Data are available at country, regional and global level, for the following elements: (in percentage) i) Share in Land area; ii) Share in Agricultural land, iii) Share in Cropland; and iv) Share in Forest land; (in ha/pc) v) Area per capita.