Share of land covered by forest in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Share of land covered by forest was 74.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of land covered by forest in Vanuatu, 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 Vanuatu is 74.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land covered by forest in Vanuatu peaked at 81.3% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 74.4%, in 2025.
Vanuatu ranks 13th of 216 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Share of land covered by forest in Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 81.3% | — |
| 1991 | 81.1% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 80.9% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 80.7% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 80.5% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 80.3% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 80.1% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 79.9% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 79.7% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 79.5% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 79.3% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 79.1% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 78.9% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 78.7% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 78.5% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 78.4% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 78.2% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 78.0% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 77.8% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 77.6% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 77.4% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 77.2% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 77.0% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 76.8% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 76.6% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 76.4% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 76.2% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 76.0% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 75.8% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 75.6% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 75.4% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 75.2% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 75.0% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 74.8% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 74.6% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 74.4% | -0.3% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 74.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.2%, 3.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 74.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 52.4%, 1.4× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 80.4% | 79.5% | 81.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.5% | 77.6% | 79.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.5% | 75.6% | 77.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.9% | 74.4% | 75.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 10 Dominica 76.5% compare
- 11 Papua New Guinea 75.1% compare
- 12 Guinea-Bissau 74.7% compare
- 14 Finland 74.2% compare
- 15 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 73.2% compare
- 16 Central African Republic 72.4% compare
More environment data for Vanuatu
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.225 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.02 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.53 % 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 -2.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land covered by forest in Vanuatu?
- Share of land covered by forest in Vanuatu was 74.4% 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 Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 81.3% in 1990.
- What is the lowest share of land covered by forest recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 74.4% in 2025.
- How does Vanuatu rank for share of land covered by forest?
- Vanuatu ranks 13th out of 216 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of land covered by forest rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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.
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About this data
Share of land area covered by forest, including both natural forests and forest plantations.