China vs World: Forest area
China
227,153 ha th
in 2025
World
4.14 million ha th
in 2025
China rank
4th
World rank
1st
Forest area over time
- China
- World
How they compare
World currently reports 4.14 million ha th against 227,153 ha th in China, a difference of 3.91 million ha th.
That makes World's figure about 18.2 times China's.
Across all 6 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.
China ranks 4th and World ranks 1st of 236 countries.
World has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 157,141 ha th | 4.34 million ha th | 4.19 million ha th | World |
| 2000s | 177,001 ha th | 4.24 million ha th | 4.06 million ha th | World |
| 2010s | 205,452 ha th | 4.19 million ha th | 3.99 million ha th | World |
| 2020s | 223,126 ha th | 4.15 million ha th | 3.93 million ha th | World |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher forest area, China or World?
- World, at 4.14 million ha th against 227,153 ha th in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in forest area between China and World?
- 3.91 million ha th, with World ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and World?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do China and World rank globally for forest area?
- China ranks 4th and World ranks 1st of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Forest area (thousands of hectares). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.