Forest area as a proportion of total land area in World
World: Forest area as a proportion of total land area was 31.8% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
31.8%
Rank
16th
of 32 regions
All-time high
33.3%
in 1990
All-time low
31.8%
in 2025
Years of data
6
1990–2025
Forest area as a proportion of total land area in World, 1990–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area as a proportion of total land area in World stood at 31.8%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area as a proportion of total land area in World peaked at 33.3% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 31.8%, in 2025.
That places World 16th out of 32 regions with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Forest area as a proportion of total land area in World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 33.3% | — |
| 2000 | 32.5% | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 32.2% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 32.1% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 32.0% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 31.8% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.3% | 33.3% | 33.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 32.5% | 32.5% | 32.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 32.2% | 32.1% | 32.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 31.9% | 31.8% | 32.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near World
- 13 Vanuatu 74.4% compare
- 14 Finland 74.2% compare
- 15 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 73.2% compare
- 16 Niue 72.6% compare
- 17 Central African Republic 72.4% compare
- 18 Brunei Darussalam 72.1% compare
- 19 Bhutan 70.1% compare
More environment data for World
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.5 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.99 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.208 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.88 °C (2025)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import -0.9521 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import 0.0002 t per person (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.6 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.52 Percentage change (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import value 0.5619 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area as a proportion of total land area in World?
- Forest area as a proportion of total land area in World was 31.8% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest forest area as a proportion of total land area recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 33.3% in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area as a proportion of total land area recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.8% in 2025.
- How does World rank for forest area as a proportion of total land area?
- World ranks 16th out of 32 regions with data for 2025.
- Is forest area as a proportion of total land area rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this World data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Forest area as a proportion of total land area (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).