Annual forest expansion in Switzerland
Switzerland: Annual forest expansion was 2,880 hectares per year in 2020. ▼ Falling
Annual forest expansion in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland is 2,880 hectares per year, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 39.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual forest expansion in Switzerland peaked at 6,510 hectares per year in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2,880 hectares per year, in 2015.
Switzerland ranks 51st of 110 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Annual forest expansion in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | hectares per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5,970 hectares per year | — |
| 2000 | 6,510 hectares per year | +9.0% |
| 2010 | 4,740 hectares per year | -27.2% |
| 2015 | 2,880 hectares per year | -39.2% |
| 2020 | 2,880 hectares per year | +0.0% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 2,880 hectares per year is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,880 hectares per year, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 2,880 hectares per year is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5,130 hectares per year, 56% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5,970 hectares per year | 5,970 hectares per year | 5,970 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 6,510 hectares per year | 6,510 hectares per year | 6,510 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 3,810 hectares per year | 2,880 hectares per year | 4,740 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 2,880 hectares per year | 2,880 hectares per year | 2,880 hectares per year | 1 |
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 forest expansion in Switzerland?
- Annual forest expansion in Switzerland was 2,880 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 6,510 hectares per year in 2000.
- What is the lowest annual forest expansion recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,880 hectares per year in 2015.
- How does Switzerland rank for annual forest expansion?
- Switzerland ranks 51st out of 110 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual forest expansion rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.2%. 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 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).