Annual forest expansion in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Annual forest expansion was 13,400 hectares per year in 2020. ▼ Falling
Annual forest expansion in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 13,400 hectares per year.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual forest expansion in United Kingdom peaked at 18,300 hectares per year in 1990 and was at its lowest, 11,000 hectares per year, in 2000.
That places United Kingdom 25th out of 110 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
Annual forest expansion in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | hectares per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 18,300 hectares per year | — |
| 2000 | 11,000 hectares per year | -39.9% |
| 2010 | 11,200 hectares per year | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 16,300 hectares per year | +45.5% |
| 2020 | 13,400 hectares per year | -17.8% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 13,400 hectares per year is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,880 hectares per year, 4.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 13,400 hectares per year is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5,130 hectares per year, 2.6× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18,300 hectares per year | 18,300 hectares per year | 18,300 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 11,000 hectares per year | 11,000 hectares per year | 11,000 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 13,750 hectares per year | 11,200 hectares per year | 16,300 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 13,400 hectares per year | 13,400 hectares per year | 13,400 hectares per year | 1 |
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 forest expansion in United Kingdom?
- Annual forest expansion in United Kingdom was 13,400 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 18,300 hectares per year in 1990.
- What is the lowest annual forest expansion recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,000 hectares per year in 2000.
- How does United Kingdom rank for annual forest expansion?
- United Kingdom ranks 25th out of 110 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual forest expansion rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.6%. 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 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).