Forest area as share of land area in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Forest area as share of land area was 58.55 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
58.55
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
35th
of 216 countries
All-time high
67.1
in 1940
All-time low
54.03
in 1990
Years of data
38
1940–2025
Forest area as share of land area in Costa Rica, 1940–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area as share of land area in Costa Rica stood at 58.55.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area as share of land area in Costa Rica peaked at 67.1 in 1940 and was at its lowest, 54.03, in 1990.
That places Costa Rica 35th out of 216 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Forest area as share of land area in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 67.1 | — |
| 1969 | 56.6 | -15.6% |
| 1990 | 54.03 | -4.5% |
| 1991 | 54.21 | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 54.38 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 54.56 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 54.74 | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 54.91 | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 55.09 | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 55.27 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 55.44 | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 55.62 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 55.8 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 55.86 | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 55.92 | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 55.98 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 56.05 | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 56.11 | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 56.17 | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 56.23 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 56.29 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 56.36 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 56.42 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 56.71 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 57 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 57.29 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 57.57 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 57.86 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 57.93 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 58 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 58.07 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 58.14 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 58.21 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 58.28 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 58.34 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 58.41 | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 58.48 | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 58.55 | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 67.1 | 67.1 | 67.1 | 1 |
| 1960s | 56.6 | 56.6 | 56.6 | 1 |
| 1990s | 54.83 | 54.03 | 55.62 | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.08 | 55.8 | 56.36 | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.5 | 56.42 | 58.14 | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.38 | 58.21 | 58.55 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 32 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 61.4 compare
- 33 Zambia 60.36 compare
- 34 United States Virgin Islands 59.03 compare
- 36 Brazil 58.16 compare
- 37 Belize 57.65 compare
- 38 Seychelles 57.65 compare
More environment data for Costa Rica
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.71 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.257 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.61 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per capita 0.0769 1000 USD per person (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, annual growth rate -3.51 % change on previous year (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Graphic papers — Import quantity, per capita 0.006 t per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area as share of land area in Costa Rica?
- Forest area as share of land area in Costa Rica was 58.55 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest forest area as share of land area recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 67.1 in 1940.
- What is the lowest forest area as share of land area recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.03 in 1990.
- How does Costa Rica rank for forest area as share of land area?
- Costa Rica ranks 35th out of 216 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area as share of land area rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Forest area as share of land area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).