Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa
South Africa: Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas was 15.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa, 1990–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 15.6% for proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa peaked at 15.6% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 1990.
That places South Africa 93rd out of 168 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 15.6% | — |
| 2000 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.6% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 15.6% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 15.6% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 15.6% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 2 |
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)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 20.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.012 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 3.25 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa?
- Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa was 15.6% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 15.6% in 1990.
- What is the lowest proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas?
- South Africa ranks 93rd out of 168 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).