Annual change in forest area in Switzerland
Switzerland: Annual change in forest area was 1,832 hectares in 2025. ▼ Falling
Annual change in forest area in Switzerland, 1991–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 1,832 hectares for annual change in forest area in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 34.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change in forest area in Switzerland peaked at 4,268 hectares in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1,832 hectares, in 2016.
Switzerland ranks 50th of 235 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Annual change in forest area in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4,268 hectares | — |
| 1992 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 4,268 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 3,854 hectares | -9.7% |
| 2002 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3,854 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2,796 hectares | -27.5% |
| 2012 | 2,796 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2,796 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2,796 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2,796 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1,832 hectares | -34.5% |
| 2017 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1,832 hectares | +0.0% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 1,832 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,002 hectares, 1.8× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4,268 hectares | 4,268 hectares | 4,268 hectares | 9 |
| 2000s | 3,895 hectares | 3,854 hectares | 4,268 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,516 hectares | 1,832 hectares | 3,854 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,832 hectares | 1,832 hectares | 1,832 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More environment data for Switzerland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.2925 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.4333 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.458 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.33 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.2741 % 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 0.0914 % 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 Switzerland?
- Annual change in forest area in Switzerland was 1,832 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 4,268 hectares in 1991.
- What is the lowest annual change in forest area recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,832 hectares in 2016.
- How does Switzerland rank for annual change in forest area?
- Switzerland ranks 50th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual change in forest area rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.