Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa

South Africa: Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas was 1.31 in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
1.31
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
144th
of 156 countries
All-time high
1.31
in 2000
All-time low
1.31
in 2000
Years of data
8
2000–2020

Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa, 2000–2020

00.511.52000201020202000: 1.32010: 1.32015: 1.32016: 1.32017: 1.32018: 1.32019: 1.32020: 1.3

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 1.31 for proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in 2020. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa peaked at 1.31 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.31, in 2000.

South Africa ranks 144th of 156 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 1.31
2010 1.31 +0.0%
2015 1.31 +0.0%
2016 1.31 +0.0%
2017 1.31 +0.0%
2018 1.31 +0.0%
2019 1.31 +0.0%
2020 1.31 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.31 1.31 1.31 1
2010s 1.31 1.31 1.31 6
2020s 1.31 1.31 1.31 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 141 Angola 2.68 compare
  2. 142 Russian Federation 2.28 compare
  3. 143 Uruguay 2.03 compare
  4. 145 Guinea-Bissau 1.29 compare
  5. 146 Iceland 1.27 compare
  6. 147 Central African Republic 0.74 compare

See the full ranking of 157 places →

More environment data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

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 1.31 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1.31 in 2000.
What is the lowest proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.31 in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas?
South Africa ranks 144th out of 156 countries with data for 2020.
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 Our World in Data, published as part of Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-forest-area-within-legally-established-protected-areas/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
157 places, 1,208 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed