Annual forest expansion in Gabon
Gabon: Annual forest expansion was 4,970 hectares per year in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Annual forest expansion in Gabon, 1990–2020
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares per year.
Analysis
In 2020, annual forest expansion in Gabon stood at 4,970 hectares per year.
The figure is up 158.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual forest expansion in Gabon peaked at 11,980 hectares per year in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1,920 hectares per year, in 2010.
That places Gabon 47th out of 110 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Annual forest expansion in Gabon, year by year
| Year | hectares per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5,250 hectares per year | — |
| 2000 | 11,980 hectares per year | +128.2% |
| 2010 | 1,920 hectares per year | -84.0% |
| 2015 | 3,990 hectares per year | +107.8% |
| 2020 | 4,970 hectares per year | +24.6% |
Gabon compared with similar countries
- Gabon's 4,970 hectares per year is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,420 hectares per year, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Gabon's 4,970 hectares per year is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,500 hectares per year, 3.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5,250 hectares per year | 5,250 hectares per year | 5,250 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 11,980 hectares per year | 11,980 hectares per year | 11,980 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 2,955 hectares per year | 1,920 hectares per year | 3,990 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 4,970 hectares per year | 4,970 hectares per year | 4,970 hectares per year | 1 |
Countries ranked near Gabon
More environment data for Gabon
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.43 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.219 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.09 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.06 % 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 0.6222 % 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 forest expansion in Gabon?
- Annual forest expansion in Gabon was 4,970 hectares per year in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual forest expansion recorded in Gabon?
- The highest recorded value was 11,980 hectares per year in 2000.
- What is the lowest annual forest expansion recorded in Gabon?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,920 hectares per year in 2010.
- How does Gabon rank for annual forest expansion?
- Gabon ranks 47th out of 110 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual forest expansion rising or falling in Gabon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 158.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gabon 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 forest expansion. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Forest expansion is the sum of afforestation (the establishment of forest through planting and/or deliberate seeding) and natural forest expansion (expansion of forests through natural succession on land that, until then, was under another land use).