Annual forest expansion in Ireland
Ireland: Annual forest expansion was 5,910 hectares per year in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Annual forest expansion in Ireland, 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
The most recent figure for annual forest expansion in Ireland is 5,910 hectares per year, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual forest expansion in Ireland peaked at 17,130 hectares per year in 1990 and was at its lowest, 4,660 hectares per year, in 2015.
Ireland ranks 44th of 110 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Annual forest expansion in Ireland, year by year
| Year | hectares per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17,130 hectares per year | — |
| 2000 | 10,370 hectares per year | -39.5% |
| 2010 | 6,650 hectares per year | -35.9% |
| 2015 | 4,660 hectares per year | -29.9% |
| 2020 | 5,910 hectares per year | +26.8% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 5,910 hectares per year is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,880 hectares per year, 2.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 5,910 hectares per year is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5,130 hectares per year, 1.2× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17,130 hectares per year | 17,130 hectares per year | 17,130 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 10,370 hectares per year | 10,370 hectares per year | 10,370 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 5,655 hectares per year | 4,660 hectares per year | 6,650 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 5,910 hectares per year | 5,910 hectares per year | 5,910 hectares per year | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.13 % 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 -0.0083 % 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 Ireland?
- Annual forest expansion in Ireland was 5,910 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 17,130 hectares per year in 1990.
- What is the lowest annual forest expansion recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,660 hectares per year in 2015.
- How does Ireland rank for annual forest expansion?
- Ireland ranks 44th out of 110 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual forest expansion rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland 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.
Download this data
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).