Annual deforestation as a share of forest area in China
China: Annual deforestation as a share of forest area was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Annual deforestation as a share of forest area in China, 1990–2020
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, annual deforestation as a share of forest area in China stood at 0.1%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual deforestation as a share of forest area in China peaked at 0.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2020.
China ranks 48th of 105 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Annual deforestation as a share of forest area in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.2% | — |
| 2000 | 0.2% | -15.2% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -21.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.2%, 80% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- China's 0.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1%, 1.3× the median. (7 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % 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 -0.2517 % 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 0.9037 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual deforestation as a share of forest area in China?
- Annual deforestation as a share of forest area in China was 0.1% 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 deforestation as a share of forest area recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 1990.
- What is the lowest annual deforestation as a share of forest area recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2020.
- How does China rank for annual deforestation as a share of forest area?
- China ranks 48th out of 105 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual deforestation as a share of forest area rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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 deforestation as a share of forest area. 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
Annual deforestation as share of forest area represents the yearly percentage of forest area lost due to deforestation relative to the total forest area.