South Africa is 2.73 times bigger by total area compared to Sweden: 471,445 sq mi vs 172,752 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of South Africa is 468,377 sq mi vs 157,248 sq mi for Sweden — a 2.98 times difference in territory size.
- South Africa ranks 24/197 by total surface area vs 56/197 for Sweden.
- South Africa occupies 0.81% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.27% for Sweden.
- 79.4% of South Africa's area is agricultural land vs 7.32% in Sweden.
- S. Africa has 2.02% of the world's agricultural land area — Sweden has 0.06%.
- 14% of S. Africa is covered by forests, compared to 68.7% in Sweden.
- 0.42% of the world's forests are in South Africa, and 0.69% are in Sweden.
Total size and land area comparison
South Africa
|
Sweden
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
471,445 sq mi |
172,752 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 2.73 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 24/197 | 56/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.24% | 0.09% |
| Land area |
468,377 sq mi |
157,248 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 2.98 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 24/197 | 58/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.81% | 0.27% |
| Population | 64,007,187 | 10,569,709 |
| Population density | 139.8 ppl/mi² | 67.8 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
South Africa
|
Sweden
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
65,409 sq mi |
108,031 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 14% | 68.7% |
| Forest area rank | 39/196 | 21/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.42% | 0.69% |
Agricultural land area
|
371,975 sq mi |
11,514 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 79.4% | 7.32% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 13/194 | 104/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 2.02% | 0.06% |
|
Arable land
|
46,332 sq mi |
9,753 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 9.89% | 6.2% |
| Arable land area rank | 24/191 | 74/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
1,595 sq mi |
11.6 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 0.34% | 0.007% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 57/192 | 171/192 |
|
Water area
|
3,068 sq mi |
15,504 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 0.65% | 8.97% |
| Water area rank | 56/197 | 15/197 |
| Roads length |
466,028 mi |
356,129 mi |
| Land borders length |
3,258 mi |
1,374 mi |
| Coastline length |
1,739 mi |
2,000 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 15.4% | 16% |
South Africa vs Sweden size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/south-africa/sweden | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of South Africa and Sweden but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.
Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.
Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.
Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.