Forest area as share of land area in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Forest area as share of land area was 34.28 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
34.28
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
102nd
of 216 countries
All-time high
38.31
in 1990
All-time low
33.92
in 2015
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Forest area as share of land area in Sri Lanka, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area as share of land area in Sri Lanka stood at 34.28.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area as share of land area in Sri Lanka peaked at 38.31 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 33.92, in 2015.
Sri Lanka ranks 102nd of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Forest area as share of land area in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 38.31 | — |
| 1991 | 38.09 | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 37.86 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 37.64 | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 37.41 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 37.19 | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 36.97 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 36.74 | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 36.52 | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 36.29 | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 36.07 | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 35.95 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 35.82 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 35.7 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 35.58 | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 35.46 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 35.34 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 35.22 | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 35.1 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 34.97 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 34.85 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 34.67 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 34.48 | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 34.29 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 34.11 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 33.92 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 34.07 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 34.22 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 34.38 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 34.53 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 34.68 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 34.6 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 34.52 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 34.44 | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 34.36 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 34.28 | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.3 | 36.29 | 38.31 | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.52 | 34.97 | 36.07 | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.35 | 33.92 | 34.85 | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.48 | 34.28 | 34.68 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 99 Luxembourg 34.45 compare
- 100 Albania 34.34 compare
- 101 Tuvalu 34.33 compare
- 103 Mexico 34.09 compare
- 104 United States of America 33.77 compare
- 105 Sierra Leone 33.75 compare
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 5.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.207 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.849 °C (2025)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import 46.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import 0.0001 t per person (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 1.79 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.72 Percentage change (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import value 11.98 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area as share of land area in Sri Lanka?
- Forest area as share of land area in Sri Lanka was 34.28 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest forest area as share of land area recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 38.31 in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area as share of land area recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.92 in 2015.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for forest area as share of land area?
- Sri Lanka ranks 102nd out of 216 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area as share of land area rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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 — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).