Annual change in forest area in Laos
Laos: Annual change in forest area was -35,334 hectares in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
-35,334 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
201st
of 235 countries
All-time high
-31,338 hectares
in 2016
All-time low
-58,238 hectares
in 2011
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Annual change in forest area in Laos, 1991–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, annual change in forest area in Laos stood at -35,334 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 39.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change in forest area in Laos peaked at -31,338 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, -58,238 hectares, in 2011.
Laos ranks 201st of 235 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Annual change in forest area in Laos, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -34,924 hectares | — |
| 1992 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -34,924 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -38,945 hectares | +11.5% |
| 2002 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -38,945 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -58,238 hectares | +49.5% |
| 2012 | -58,238 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -58,238 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -58,238 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -58,238 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -31,338 hectares | -46.2% |
| 2017 | -31,338 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -31,338 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -31,338 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -31,338 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -35,334 hectares | +12.8% |
| 2022 | -35,334 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -35,334 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -35,334 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -35,334 hectares | -0.0% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's -35,334 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is -848 hectares, 41.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -34,924 hectares | -34,924 hectares | -34,924 hectares | 9 |
| 2000s | -38,543 hectares | -38,945 hectares | -34,924 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | -45,549 hectares | -58,238 hectares | -31,338 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | -34,668 hectares | -35,334 hectares | -31,338 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More environment data for Laos
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.77 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9142 % 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 0.4183 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual change in forest area in Laos?
- Annual change in forest area in Laos was -35,334 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 Laos?
- The highest recorded value was -31,338 hectares in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual change in forest area recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was -58,238 hectares in 2011.
- How does Laos rank for annual change in forest area?
- Laos ranks 201st out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual change in forest area rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos 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.