Annual forest expansion in Spain
Spain: Annual forest expansion was 34,400 hectares per year in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Annual forest expansion in Spain, 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 Spain stood at 34,400 hectares per year.
That represents a change of up 802.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual forest expansion in Spain peaked at 318,930 hectares per year in 1990 and was at its lowest, 3,810 hectares per year, in 2010.
That places Spain 16th out of 110 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
Annual forest expansion in Spain, year by year
| Year | hectares per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 318,930 hectares per year | — |
| 2000 | 152,930 hectares per year | -52.0% |
| 2010 | 3,810 hectares per year | -97.5% |
| 2015 | 85,080 hectares per year | +2133.1% |
| 2020 | 34,400 hectares per year | -59.6% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 34,400 hectares per year is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,880 hectares per year, 11.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Spain's 34,400 hectares per year is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5,130 hectares per year, 6.7× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 318,930 hectares per year | 318,930 hectares per year | 318,930 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 152,930 hectares per year | 152,930 hectares per year | 152,930 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 44,445 hectares per year | 3,810 hectares per year | 85,080 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 34,400 hectares per year | 34,400 hectares per year | 34,400 hectares per year | 1 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More environment data for Spain
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.67 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.4 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.402 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.3 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4277 % 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 -0.5136 % 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 Spain?
- Annual forest expansion in Spain was 34,400 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 318,930 hectares per year in 1990.
- What is the lowest annual forest expansion recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,810 hectares per year in 2010.
- How does Spain rank for annual forest expansion?
- Spain ranks 16th out of 110 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual forest expansion rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 802.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Spain 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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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).