Deforestation embedded in trade in South Korea

South Korea: Deforestation embedded in trade was 27,726 hectares in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
27,726 hectares
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
7th
of 178 countries
All-time high
52,202 hectares
in 2016
All-time low
27,726 hectares
in 2023
Years of data
19
2005–2023

Deforestation embedded in trade in South Korea, 2005–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k2005201420232005: 30.7k hectares2006: 35.7k hectares2007: 37.4k hectares2008: 33.5k hectares2009: 34.5k hectares2010: 38.1k hectares2011: 41.1k hectares2012: 48.6k hectares2013: 51.2k hectares2014: 43.7k hectares2015: 40.7k hectares2016: 52.2k hectares2017: 49.0k hectares2018: 47.0k hectares2019: 45.9k hectares2020: 32.4k hectares2021: 30.6k hectares2022: 28.4k hectares2023: 27.7k hectares

Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2023, deforestation embedded in trade in South Korea stood at 27,726 hectares. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 45.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, deforestation embedded in trade in South Korea peaked at 52,202 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 27,726 hectares, in 2023.

South Korea ranks 7th of 178 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 34,366 hectares 30,675 hectares 37,442 hectares 5
2010s 45,766 hectares 38,136 hectares 52,202 hectares 10
2020s 29,780 hectares 27,726 hectares 32,440 hectares 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 4 Japan 44,879 hectares compare
  2. 5 United Kingdom 29,101 hectares compare
  3. 6 France 27,984 hectares compare
  4. 8 India 27,148 hectares compare
  5. 9 Italy 21,684 hectares compare
  6. 10 Russia 21,570 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is deforestation embedded in trade in South Korea?
Deforestation embedded in trade in South Korea was 27,726 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 52,202 hectares in 2016.
What is the lowest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 27,726 hectares in 2023.
How does South Korea rank for deforestation embedded in trade?
South Korea ranks 7th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
Is deforestation embedded in trade rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 45.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deforestation embedded in trade. 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

Indicator
Deforestation embedded in trade
Unit
hectares
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
178 places, 3,320 data points, 2005–2023
Last refreshed

Deforestation driven by imported goods minus exported goods from agriculture and forest plantations. Net importers of deforestation are countries who contribute to net deforestation in other countries – the deforestation that they cause in other countries is given as a positive value.