Environment in South Africa

3,598 indicators covering environment for South Africa.

IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen 297,434 t 2023 up 38.8% 33rd
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen per unit area 23.96 kg/ha 2023 up 38.8% 114th
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus 21,162 t 2023 down 38.1% 37th
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus per unit area 1.7 kg/ha 2023 down 38.1% 105th
Nutrient balance — Cropland potassium -24,402 t 2023 down 509.7% 158th
Nutrient balance — Cropland potassium per unit area -1.97 kg/ha 2023 down 509.7% 125th
Nutrient balance — Cropland nitrogen use efficiency 64.85 % 2023 up 2.3% 57th
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency 81.87 % 2023 up 24.0% 78th
Nutrient balance — Cropland potassium use efficiency 112.88 % 2023 up 17.2% 64th
Arable land use per person 0.1898 hectares per person 2023 down 13.5% 63rd
Forest area 22.88 million hectares 2025 up 4.0% 27th
Share of global forest area 0.6% 2025 up 5.0% 27th
Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index -0.7253 2023 up 50.6% 117th
Veneer sheets — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP 2024 down 35.5% 92nd
Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Export quantity, per square kilometre 0.016 m3 per square kilometre 2023 up 45.8% 80th
Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Export value, per square kilometre 0.0055 1000 USD per square kilometre 2023 up 64.9% 89th
Veneer sheets — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP 2024 down 29.7% 65th
Total fibre furnish — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP 2024 up 23.6% 42nd
Total fibre furnish — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 down 6.7% 47th
Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 up 11.4% 28th
Nutrient phosphate P2O5 (total) — Agricultural Use, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 up 76.6% 15th
Nutrient phosphate P2O5 (total) — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 up 64.9% 45th
Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Agricultural Use, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 up 54.0% 41st
Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 up 18.7% 37th
Pesticides (total) — Export value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP 2024 down 18.2% 26th
Plywood and LVL — Production 120,000 m3 2024 up 46.2% 51st
Paper and paperboard — Export quantity, annual growth rate 29.96 % change on previous year 2024 up 209.3% 41st
Fibreboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP 2024 down 29.1% 89th
Fibreboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP 2024 down 9.5% 87th
Other paper and paperboard — Export value, per capita 0.0043 1000 USD per person 2024 down 22.4% 53rd
Other paper and paperboard — Export quantity, per capita 0.006 t per person 2024 up 0.4% 47th
Newsprint — Import value, per square kilometre 0.0097 1000 USD per square kilometre 2023 up 9.7% 105th
Newsprint — Import quantity, per square kilometre 0.0134 t per square kilometre 2023 up 0.7% 104th
Permanent meadows and pastures — Area, per square kilometre 0.0692 1000 ha per square kilometre 2023 unchanged 7th
Wood fuel, coniferous — Production, per square kilometre 0.5358 m3 per square kilometre 2023 58th
Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Export quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 up 24.4% 37th
Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Agricultural Use, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 up 113.7% 25th
Paper and paperboard — Production, annual growth rate -6.96 % change on previous year 2024 down 165.9% 119th
Veneer sheets — Import value, annual growth rate 0.7515 % change on previous year 2024 up 101.5% 82nd
Dissolving wood pulp — Import quantity 0 t 2024 down 100.0% 113th
Dissolving wood pulp — Import value 1 1000 USD 2024 down 99.9% 115th
Paper and paperboard — Export value, annual growth rate -1.21 % change on previous year 2024 down 113.5% 121st
Wood fuel, non-coniferous — Production, per capita 0.1875 m3 per person 2024 down 13.1% 88th
Wood fuel — Production, per capita 0.1976 m3 per person 2024 down 8.6% 95th
Roundwood, non-coniferous — Production, per capita 0.3352 m3 per person 2024 down 7.1% 80th
Roundwood — Production, per capita 0.4508 m3 per person 2024 down 6.3% 76th
Other paper and paperboard — Export quantity, annual growth rate 41.45 % change on previous year 2024 up 389.0% 24th
Primary Forest — Area 427.55 1000 ha 2025 down 2.4% 50th
Chemical wood pulp, sulphate, bleached — Import quantity 169,920 t 2024 up 58.6% 42nd
Chemical wood pulp, sulphate, bleached — Import value 140,111 1000 USD 2024 up 82.6% 40th
Roundwood — Export value, per square kilometre 0.0749 1000 USD per square kilometre 2023 up 443.9% 52nd
Roundwood — Export quantity, per square kilometre 0.8774 m3 per square kilometre 2023 up 427.2% 43rd
Paper and paperboard — Export value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP 2024 down 20.8% 35th
Paper and paperboard — Export quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP 2024 down 5.0% 29th
Recovered paper — Import quantity 35,266 t 2024 down 51.1% 53rd
Recovered paper — Import value 3,280 1000 USD 2024 down 71.5% 66th
Annual change in forest area 87,566 hectares 2025 down 0.0% 5th
Annual change in forest area as a share of forest area 0.4% 2025 down 3.8% 27th
Annual change in forest area vs. GDP per capita 0.4% 2025 down 3.8% 26th
Change in domestic forest area vs. deforestation embedded in imported goods 87,566 hectares 2025 down 0.0% 5th