Annual change in forest area in Malaysia

Malaysia: Annual change in forest area was -60,000 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
-60,000 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
209th
of 235 countries
All-time high
103,314 hectares
in 2011
All-time low
-92,715 hectares
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Annual change in forest area in Malaysia, 1991–2025

-100.0k-50.0k050.0k100.0k1991200820251991: -92.7k hectares1992: -92.7k hectares1993: -92.7k hectares1994: -92.7k hectares1995: -92.7k hectares1996: -92.7k hectares1997: -92.7k hectares1998: -92.7k hectares1999: -92.7k hectares2000: -92.7k hectares2001: -74.4k hectares2002: -74.4k hectares2003: -74.4k hectares2004: -74.4k hectares2005: -74.4k hectares2006: -74.4k hectares2007: -74.4k hectares2008: -74.4k hectares2009: -74.4k hectares2010: -74.4k hectares2011: 103.3k hectares2012: 103.3k hectares2013: 103.3k hectares2014: 103.3k hectares2015: 103.3k hectares2016: -55.9k hectares2017: -55.9k hectares2018: -55.9k hectares2019: -55.9k hectares2020: -55.9k hectares2021: -60.0k hectares2022: -60.0k hectares2023: -60.0k hectares2024: -60.0k hectares2025: -60.0k hectares

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 Malaysia stood at -60,000 hectares.

That represents a change of down 158.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual change in forest area in Malaysia peaked at 103,314 hectares in 2011 and was at its lowest, -92,715 hectares, in 1991.

Malaysia ranks 209th of 235 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s -92,715 hectares -92,715 hectares -92,715 hectares 9
2000s -76,204 hectares -92,715 hectares -74,370 hectares 10
2010s 21,862 hectares -74,370 hectares 103,314 hectares 10
2020s -59,316 hectares -60,000 hectares -55,896 hectares 6

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 206 Venezuela -49,292 hectares compare
  2. 207 Honduras -50,220 hectares compare
  3. 208 Zimbabwe -53,000 hectares compare
  4. 210 Guinea -66,998 hectares compare
  5. 211 United States -72,000 hectares compare
  6. 212 Somalia -75,950 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More environment data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual change in forest area in Malaysia?
Annual change in forest area in Malaysia was -60,000 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 103,314 hectares in 2011.
What is the lowest annual change in forest area recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was -92,715 hectares in 1991.
How does Malaysia rank for annual change in forest area?
Malaysia ranks 209th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
Is annual change in forest area rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 158.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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.

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CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Annual change in forest area
Unit
hectares
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,225 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Net change in forest area measures forest expansion (the sum of afforestation and natural expansion) minus deforestation.