Malawi vs South Africa: Forest area

Forest area in 2024: 22% in Malawi and 18.8% in South Africa, by FAO estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Malawi, by 3.2 percentage points, or 1.17 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of land · FAO

MalawiSouth AfricaWorld

What the numbers say

Malawi has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
In 2024, Malawi ranked 126 and South Africa ranked 133 of 209 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of land · FAO

Year	Malawi	South Africa	World
2024	22	18.8	–
2023	22.4	18.7	31.1
2022	22.9	18.7	31.1
2021	23.3	18.6	31.2
2020	23.8	18.5	31.2
2019	24.2	18.4	31.2
2018	24.7	18.4	31.3
2017	25.1	18.3	31.3
2016	25.6	18.2	31.3
2015	26	18.1	31.4
2014	26.5	18.1	31.4
2013	26.9	18	31.4
2012	27.3	17.9	31.5
2011	27.8	17.9	31.9
2010	28.2	17.8	32
2009	28.7	17.7	32
2008	29.1	17.6	32
2007	29.6	17.6	32.1
2006	30	17.5	32.1
2005	30.5	17.4	32.1
2004	30.9	17.4	32.2
2003	31.4	17.3	32.3
2002	31.8	17.2	32.3
2001	32.2	17.1	32.3
2000	32.7	17.1	32.4
1999	33.1	17	32.5
1998	33.6	16.9	32.5
1997	34	16.8	32.6
1996	34.5	16.8	32.7
1995	34.9	16.7	32.7
1994	35.4	16.6	32.8
1993	35.8	16.6	32.8
1992	36.3	16.5	33
1991	36.7	16.4	–
1990	37.1	16.3	–

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of land under trees at least 5 metres tall, natural or planted, leaving out orchards and city parks.
Source: FAO, via the World Bank.
Ranks count the 209 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Malawi vs South Africa: Forest area

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

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