Consumption-based deforestation per person in Iceland
Iceland: Consumption-based deforestation per person was 3.85 square meters in 2023. ▼ Falling
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Iceland, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in square meters.
Analysis
In 2023, consumption-based deforestation per person in Iceland stood at 3.85 square meters. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.
The figure is down 10.5% on the previous year and down 31.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, consumption-based deforestation per person in Iceland peaked at 12.94 square meters in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3.85 square meters, in 2023.
That places Iceland 88th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Iceland, year by year
| Year | square meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 12.94 square meters | — |
| 2006 | 12.48 square meters | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 12.4 square meters | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 8.78 square meters | -29.1% |
| 2009 | 5.97 square meters | -32.0% |
| 2010 | 5.48 square meters | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 6.05 square meters | +10.4% |
| 2012 | 5.81 square meters | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 5.65 square meters | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 5.91 square meters | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 5.31 square meters | -10.1% |
| 2016 | 6.92 square meters | +30.2% |
| 2017 | 8.18 square meters | +18.3% |
| 2018 | 8.06 square meters | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 6.8 square meters | -15.7% |
| 2020 | 4.97 square meters | -26.9% |
| 2021 | 5.13 square meters | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 4.3 square meters | -16.1% |
| 2023 | 3.85 square meters | -10.5% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 3.85 square meters is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.26 square meters, 90% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 3.85 square meters is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.8 square meters, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.51 square meters | 5.97 square meters | 12.94 square meters | 5 |
| 2010s | 6.42 square meters | 5.31 square meters | 8.18 square meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.56 square meters | 3.85 square meters | 5.13 square meters | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More environment data for Iceland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.587 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8549 % 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 -1.93 % 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is consumption-based deforestation per person in Iceland?
- Consumption-based deforestation per person in Iceland was 3.85 square meters in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest consumption-based deforestation per person recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 12.94 square meters in 2005.
- What is the lowest consumption-based deforestation per person recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.85 square meters in 2023.
- How does Iceland rank for consumption-based deforestation per person?
- Iceland ranks 88th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is consumption-based deforestation per person rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption-based deforestation per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated average deforestation for agricultural and forestry products, per person. This is adjusted for trade, so it reflects deforestation caused by consumption, not domestic production.