Annual change in forest area in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: Annual change in forest area was -5,210 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
-5,210 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
184th
of 235 countries
All-time high
12,532 hectares
in 1991
All-time low
-5,214 hectares
in 2016
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Annual change in forest area in Puerto Rico, 1991–2025

-5.0k05.0k10.0k15.0k1991200820251991: 12.5k hectares1992: 12.5k hectares1993: 12.5k hectares1994: 12.5k hectares1995: 12.5k hectares1996: 12.5k hectares1997: 12.5k hectares1998: 12.5k hectares1999: 12.5k hectares2000: 12.5k hectares2001: 6.2k hectares2002: 6.2k hectares2003: 6.2k hectares2004: 6.2k hectares2005: 6.2k hectares2006: 6.2k hectares2007: 6.2k hectares2008: 6.2k hectares2009: 6.2k hectares2010: 6.2k hectares2011: -654 hectares2012: -654 hectares2013: -654 hectares2014: -654 hectares2015: -654 hectares2016: -5.2k hectares2017: -5.2k hectares2018: -5.2k hectares2019: -5.2k hectares2020: -5.2k hectares2021: -5.2k hectares2022: -5.2k hectares2023: -5.2k hectares2024: -5.2k hectares2025: -5.2k hectares

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 Puerto Rico is -5,210 hectares, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 696.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual change in forest area in Puerto Rico peaked at 12,532 hectares in 1991 and was at its lowest, -5,214 hectares, in 2016.

Puerto Rico ranks 184th 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 12,532 hectares 12,532 hectares 12,532 hectares 9
2000s 6,860 hectares 6,230 hectares 12,532 hectares 10
2010s -1,790 hectares -5,214 hectares 6,230 hectares 10
2020s -5,211 hectares -5,214 hectares -5,210 hectares 6

Countries ranked near Puerto Rico

  1. 181 Chile -4,884 hectares compare
  2. 182 Niger -4,920 hectares compare
  3. 183 Sri Lanka -4,944 hectares compare
  4. 185 Eritrea -5,980 hectares compare
  5. 186 Gambia -6,534 hectares compare
  6. 187 Iraq -6,604 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More environment data for Puerto Rico

All data for Puerto Rico →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual change in forest area in Puerto Rico?
Annual change in forest area in Puerto Rico was -5,210 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 Puerto Rico?
The highest recorded value was 12,532 hectares in 1991.
What is the lowest annual change in forest area recorded in Puerto Rico?
The lowest recorded value was -5,214 hectares in 2016.
How does Puerto Rico rank for annual change in forest area?
Puerto Rico ranks 184th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
Is annual change in forest area rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
Over the last ten years it is down 696.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Puerto Rico 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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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.