Annual change forest area in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Annual change forest area was -4,944 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-4,944
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
183rd
of 235 countries
All-time high
9,432
in 2016
All-time low
-13,880
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Annual change forest area in Sri Lanka, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual change forest area in Sri Lanka is -4,944, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 57.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change forest area in Sri Lanka peaked at 9,432 in 2016 and was at its lowest, -13,880, in 1991.
Sri Lanka ranks 183rd 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.
Annual change forest area in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -13,880 | — |
| 1992 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -13,880 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -7,518 | -45.8% |
| 2002 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -7,518 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -11,542 | +53.5% |
| 2012 | -11,542 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -11,542 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -11,542 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -11,542 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 9,432 | -181.7% |
| 2017 | 9,432 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9,432 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9,432 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9,432 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | -4,944 | -152.4% |
| 2022 | -4,944 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -4,944 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -4,944 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -4,944 | -0.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's -4,944 is below the median for South Asia, which is -493.99, 10.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -13,880 | -13,880 | -13,880 | 9 |
| 2000s | -8,154 | -13,880 | -7,518 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2,750 | -11,542 | 9,432 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2,548 | -4,944 | 9,432 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 0.0202 hectares per person (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 5.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.207 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.849 °C (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 7.11 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual change forest area in Sri Lanka?
- Annual change forest area in Sri Lanka was -4,944 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual change forest area recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 9,432 in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual change forest area recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -13,880 in 1991.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for annual change forest area?
- Sri Lanka ranks 183rd out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual change forest area rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual change 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).