Wood fuel — Production in South Africa
South Africa: Wood fuel — Production was 12.65 million m3 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Wood fuel — Production in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in m3.
Analysis
The most recent figure for wood fuel — production in South Africa is 12.65 million m3, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wood fuel — production in South Africa peaked at 14.60 million m3 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 530,000 m3, in 1962.
That places South Africa 36th out of 230 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Wood fuel — Production in South Africa, year by year
| Year | m3 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 773,000 m3 | — |
| 1962 | 530,000 m3 | -31.4% |
| 1963 | 557,000 m3 | +5.1% |
| 1964 | 667,000 m3 | +19.7% |
| 1965 | 850,000 m3 | +27.4% |
| 1966 | 6.76 million m3 | +695.3% |
| 1967 | 6.78 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 6.80 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 6.82 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 6.84 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 6.86 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 6.88 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 6.90 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 6.92 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 6.94 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 6.96 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 6.98 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 7.00 million m3 | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 7.40 million m3 | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 7.80 million m3 | +5.4% |
| 1981 | 8.20 million m3 | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 8.60 million m3 | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 9.00 million m3 | +4.7% |
| 1984 | 9.40 million m3 | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 9.80 million m3 | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 10.20 million m3 | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 10.60 million m3 | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 11.00 million m3 | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 11.40 million m3 | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 11.80 million m3 | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 12.20 million m3 | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 12.60 million m3 | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 13.00 million m3 | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 13.40 million m3 | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 13.80 million m3 | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 14.20 million m3 | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 14.60 million m3 | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 12.00 million m3 | -17.8% |
| 1999 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 12.00 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12.02 million m3 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 12.03 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12.03 million m3 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 12.03 million m3 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 12.03 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12.03 million m3 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 12.25 million m3 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 12.60 million m3 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 12.65 million m3 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 12.65 million m3 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12.65 million m3 | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 12.65 million m3 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.05 million m3, 12.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 12.65 million m3 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.12 million m3, 2.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wood fuel — Production in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | +695.3% | 850,000 m3 | 6.76 million m3 |
| 1962 | -31.4% | 773,000 m3 | 530,000 m3 |
| 1965 | +27.4% | 667,000 m3 | 850,000 m3 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.39 million m3 | 530,000 m3 | 6.82 million m3 | 9 |
| 1970s | 6.97 million m3 | 6.84 million m3 | 7.40 million m3 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.60 million m3 | 7.80 million m3 | 11.40 million m3 | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.96 million m3 | 11.80 million m3 | 14.60 million m3 | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.00 million m3 | 12.00 million m3 | 12.00 million m3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.02 million m3 | 12.00 million m3 | 12.03 million m3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.56 million m3 | 12.25 million m3 | 12.65 million m3 | 5 |
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)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wood fuel — production in South Africa?
- Wood fuel — production in South Africa was 12.65 million m3 in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest wood fuel — production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.60 million m3 in 1997.
- What is the lowest wood fuel — production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 530,000 m3 in 1962.
- How does South Africa rank for wood fuel — production?
- South Africa ranks 36th out of 230 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wood fuel — production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. 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, published as part of Wood fuel — Production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The database contains data on the production and trade in roundwood and in primary wood and paper products for all countries and territories in the world.The main types of primary forest products included in this database are roundwood, sawnwood, wood-based panels, pulp, and paper and paperboard. These products are detailed further and defined in the Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire (JFSQ) (https://www.fao.org/statistics/data-collection/forestry/en). The database contains details of the following topics: - roundwood removals (production) by coniferous and non-coniferous wood and assortments, - production and trade in industrial roundwood, sawnwood, wood-based panels, wood charcoal, pulp, paper and paperboard, and other products. More detailed information on wood products, including definitions, can be found at: https://www.fao.org/statistics/data-collection/forestry/en