South Africa vs Uganda
South Africa vs Uganda: Forest area
Forest area in 2024: 18.8% in South Africa and 12% in Uganda, by FAO estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 6.8 percentage points, or 1.57 times that in Uganda.
% of land · FAO
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2000, when it overtook Uganda.
- In 2024, South Africa ranked 133 and Uganda ranked 158 of 209 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of land · FAO
| Year | South Africa | Uganda | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18.8 | 12 | – |
| 2023 | 18.7 | 12.1 | 31.1 |
| 2022 | 18.7 | 12.2 | 31.1 |
| 2021 | 18.6 | 12.4 | 31.2 |
| 2020 | 18.5 | 12.5 | 31.2 |
| 2019 | 18.4 | 12.7 | 31.2 |
| 2018 | 18.4 | 12.8 | 31.3 |
| 2017 | 18.3 | 12.9 | 31.3 |
| 2016 | 18.2 | 13.1 | 31.3 |
| 2015 | 18.1 | 13.2 | 31.4 |
| 2014 | 18.1 | 13.5 | 31.4 |
| 2013 | 18 | 13.7 | 31.4 |
| 2012 | 17.9 | 14 | 31.5 |
| 2011 | 17.9 | 14.2 | 31.9 |
| 2010 | 17.8 | 14.5 | 32 |
| 2009 | 17.7 | 14.8 | 32 |
| 2008 | 17.6 | 15 | 32 |
| 2007 | 17.6 | 15.3 | 32.1 |
| 2006 | 17.5 | 15.5 | 32.1 |
| 2005 | 17.4 | 15.8 | 32.1 |
| 2004 | 17.4 | 16 | 32.2 |
| 2003 | 17.3 | 16.3 | 32.3 |
| 2002 | 17.2 | 16.5 | 32.3 |
| 2001 | 17.1 | 16.8 | 32.3 |
| 2000 | 17.1 | 17 | 32.4 |
| 1999 | 17 | 17.6 | 32.5 |
| 1998 | 16.9 | 18.2 | 32.5 |
| 1997 | 16.8 | 18.7 | 32.6 |
| 1996 | 16.8 | 19.3 | 32.7 |
| 1995 | 16.7 | 19.9 | 32.7 |
| 1994 | 16.6 | 20.5 | 32.8 |
| 1993 | 16.6 | 21 | 32.8 |
| 1992 | 16.5 | 21.6 | 33 |
| 1991 | 16.4 | 22.2 | – |
| 1990 | 16.3 | 22.8 | – |
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
South Africa vs Uganda
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Uganda: 68.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Uganda: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Uganda: 28.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Uganda: 4.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Uganda: 11.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Uganda: 48.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Uganda: 2.78% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Uganda: 4.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Uganda: 31.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Uganda: 16.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Uganda: 2.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Uganda: -2.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Uganda: 1.96% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Uganda: $1.2B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Uganda: $26 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Uganda: 9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Uganda: 46,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Uganda: 0.2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Uganda: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Uganda: 2 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Uganda: 4 million TIV in 2016