Share of land covered by forest in Kenya
Kenya: Share of land covered by forest was 6.7% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Share of land covered by forest in Kenya, 1990–2025
Source: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (2013) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of land covered by forest in Kenya is 6.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land covered by forest in Kenya peaked at 6.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 2015.
Kenya ranks 177th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Share of land covered by forest in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6.4% | — |
| 1991 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 6.7% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 6.7% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 6.5% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 6.3% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 6.2% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 5.8% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 6.0% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 6.0% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 6.1% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 6.2% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 6.4% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 6.5% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 6.6% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 6.7% | +1.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 6.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.2%, 27% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 6.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.0%, 31% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.5% | 6.4% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 5.8% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.5% | 6.2% | 6.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More environment data for Kenya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.12 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.25 % 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 2.87 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land covered by forest in Kenya?
- Share of land covered by forest in Kenya was 6.7% in 2025, according to Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (2013) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of land covered by forest recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of land covered by forest recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 2015.
- How does Kenya rank for share of land covered by forest?
- Kenya ranks 177th out of 216 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of land covered by forest rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (2013) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land covered by forest. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of land area covered by forest, including both natural forests and forest plantations.