Drivers of deforestation in South Korea

South Korea: Drivers of deforestation was 105.44 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
105.44 hectares
Change on year
up 47.8%
World rank
81st
of 166 countries
All-time high
711.92 hectares
in 2008
All-time low
60.73 hectares
in 2002
Years of data
23
2001–2023

Drivers of deforestation in South Korea, 2001–2023

02004006008002001201220232001: 78.5 hectares2002: 60.7 hectares2003: 85.6 hectares2004: 361.3 hectares2005: 257.3 hectares2006: 326.8 hectares2007: 228.2 hectares2008: 711.9 hectares2009: 210.7 hectares2010: 201.8 hectares2011: 125.8 hectares2012: 515.7 hectares2013: 131.7 hectares2014: 204.4 hectares2015: 220.3 hectares2016: 265.1 hectares2017: 191.8 hectares2018: 142.4 hectares2019: 170.2 hectares2020: 126.4 hectares2021: 101.3 hectares2022: 71.4 hectares2023: 105.4 hectares

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for drivers of deforestation in South Korea is 105.44 hectares, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 47.8% on the previous year and down 19.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in South Korea peaked at 711.92 hectares in 2008 and was at its lowest, 60.73 hectares, in 2002.

That places South Korea 81st out of 166 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 257.9 hectares 60.73 hectares 711.92 hectares 9
2010s 216.93 hectares 125.75 hectares 515.72 hectares 10
2020s 101.15 hectares 71.36 hectares 126.44 hectares 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 78 Cuba 145.95 hectares compare
  2. 79 Bulgaria 135.55 hectares compare
  3. 80 Uruguay 107.27 hectares compare
  4. 82 Kazakhstan 103.96 hectares compare
  5. 83 Somalia 100.38 hectares compare
  6. 84 Slovenia 94.29 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More environment data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is drivers of deforestation in South Korea?
Drivers of deforestation in South Korea was 105.44 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 711.92 hectares in 2008.
What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 60.73 hectares in 2002.
How does South Korea rank for drivers of deforestation?
South Korea ranks 81st out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 Drivers of deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Drivers of deforestation
Unit
hectares
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 2,829 data points, 2001–2023
Last refreshed

Estimates of commodity-driven deforestation, measured in hectares per year. This includes deforestation caused by the production of agricultural products and forestry, which account for approximately 90% of the world's deforestation.