Annual change in forest area in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Annual change in forest area was 12,600 hectares in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
12,600 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
25th
of 235 countries
All-time high
19,200 hectares
in 2011
All-time low
10,500 hectares
in 2001
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Annual change in forest area in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 12,600 hectares.
That represents a change of down 34.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change in forest area in United Kingdom peaked at 19,200 hectares in 2011 and was at its lowest, 10,500 hectares, in 2001.
United Kingdom ranks 25th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 17,600 hectares | — |
| 1992 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 17,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 10,500 hectares | -40.3% |
| 2002 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 10,500 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 19,200 hectares | +82.9% |
| 2012 | 19,200 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 19,200 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 19,200 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 19,200 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12,000 hectares | -37.5% |
| 2017 | 12,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 12,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 12,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12,600 hectares | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 12,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 12,600 hectares | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 12,600 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,002 hectares, 12.6× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17,600 hectares | 17,600 hectares | 17,600 hectares | 9 |
| 2000s | 11,210 hectares | 10,500 hectares | 17,600 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,450 hectares | 10,500 hectares | 19,200 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,500 hectares | 12,000 hectares | 12,600 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.13 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.25 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.47 % 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 -0.8735 % 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 -1.29 % 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 United Kingdom?
- Annual change in forest area in United Kingdom was 12,600 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 19,200 hectares in 2011.
- What is the lowest annual change in forest area recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,500 hectares in 2001.
- How does United Kingdom rank for annual change in forest area?
- United Kingdom ranks 25th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual change in forest area rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.