Change forest area share total in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Change forest area share total was -0.2331 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Change forest area share total in Sri Lanka, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded -0.2331 for change forest area share total in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 57.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, change forest area share total in Sri Lanka peaked at 0.4475 in 2016 and was at its lowest, -0.6221, in 2000.
That places Sri Lanka 178th out of 228 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Change forest area share total in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -0.5891 | — |
| 1992 | -0.5926 | +0.6% |
| 1993 | -0.5961 | +0.6% |
| 1994 | -0.5997 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | -0.6033 | +0.6% |
| 1996 | -0.607 | +0.6% |
| 1997 | -0.6107 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | -0.6145 | +0.6% |
| 1999 | -0.6183 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | -0.6221 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | -0.3381 | -45.7% |
| 2002 | -0.3392 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | -0.3404 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | -0.3416 | +0.3% |
| 2005 | -0.3427 | +0.3% |
| 2006 | -0.3439 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | -0.3451 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | -0.3463 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | -0.3475 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | -0.3487 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | -0.5382 | +54.4% |
| 2012 | -0.5411 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | -0.5441 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | -0.5471 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | -0.5501 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 0.4475 | -181.4% |
| 2017 | 0.4455 | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 0.4435 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 0.4416 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 0.4396 | -0.4% |
| 2021 | -0.231 | -152.5% |
| 2022 | -0.2315 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | -0.232 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | -0.2326 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | -0.2331 | +0.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's -0.2331 is below the median for South Asia, which is -0.0264, 8.8× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Change forest area share total in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +181.4% | -0.5501 | 0.4475 |
| 2021 | -152.5% | 0.4396 | -0.231 |
| 2011 | -54.4% | -0.3487 | -0.5382 |
| 2001 | +45.7% | -0.6221 | -0.3381 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -0.6035 | -0.6183 | -0.5891 | 9 |
| 2000s | -0.3707 | -0.6221 | -0.3381 | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.1291 | -0.5501 | 0.4475 | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.1201 | -0.2331 | 0.4396 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 0.0202 hectares per person (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 5.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.207 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.849 °C (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 7.11 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is change forest area share total in Sri Lanka?
- Change forest area share total in Sri Lanka was -0.2331 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest change forest area share total recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4475 in 2016.
- What is the lowest change forest area share total recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6221 in 2000.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for change forest area share total?
- Sri Lanka ranks 178th out of 228 countries with data for 2025.
- Is change forest area share total rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Change forest area share total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).