Annual change in forest area in Congo
Congo: Annual change in forest area was 14,000 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Annual change in forest area in Congo, 1991–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual change in forest area in Congo is 14,000 hectares, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 168.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change in forest area in Congo peaked at 14,000 hectares in 2021 and was at its lowest, -25,900 hectares, in 2016.
That places Congo 23rd out of 235 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual change in forest area in Congo, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -12,000 hectares | — |
| 1992 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -12,000 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -20,340 hectares | +69.5% |
| 2012 | -20,340 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -20,340 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -20,340 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -20,340 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -25,900 hectares | +27.3% |
| 2017 | -25,900 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -25,900 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -25,900 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -25,900 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 14,000 hectares | -154.1% |
| 2022 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 14,000 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -848 hectares. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 14,000 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -7,546 hectares. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -12,000 hectares | -12,000 hectares | -12,000 hectares | 9 |
| 2000s | -12,000 hectares | -12,000 hectares | -12,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | -21,730 hectares | -25,900 hectares | -12,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,350 hectares | -25,900 hectares | 14,000 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More environment data for Congo
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -9.96 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.68 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.202 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.13 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8453 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.4756 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual change in forest area in Congo?
- Annual change in forest area in Congo was 14,000 hectares in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual change in forest area recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 14,000 hectares in 2021.
- What is the lowest annual change in forest area recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was -25,900 hectares in 2016.
- How does Congo rank for annual change in forest area?
- Congo ranks 23rd out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual change in forest area rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 168.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual change in forest area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Net change in forest area measures forest expansion (the sum of afforestation and natural expansion) minus deforestation.