Forest area in Gambia
Gambia: Forest area was 209,470 hectares in 2025. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Gambia, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for forest area in Gambia is 209,470 hectares, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Gambia peaked at 414,730 hectares in 1990 and was at its lowest, 209,470 hectares, in 2025.
Gambia ranks 156th of 235 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 in Gambia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 414,730 hectares | — |
| 1991 | 409,044 hectares | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 403,358 hectares | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 397,672 hectares | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 391,986 hectares | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 386,300 hectares | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 380,614 hectares | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 374,928 hectares | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 369,242 hectares | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 363,556 hectares | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 357,870 hectares | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 352,083 hectares | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 346,296 hectares | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 340,509 hectares | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 334,722 hectares | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 328,935 hectares | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 323,148 hectares | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 317,361 hectares | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 311,574 hectares | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 305,787 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 300,000 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 294,214 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 288,428 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 282,642 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 276,856 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 271,070 hectares | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 265,284 hectares | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 259,498 hectares | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 253,712 hectares | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 247,926 hectares | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 242,140 hectares | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 235,606 hectares | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 229,072 hectares | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 222,538 hectares | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 216,004 hectares | -2.9% |
| 2025 | 209,470 hectares | -3.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 209,470 hectares is below the median for low income countries, which is 3.24 million hectares, 6% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 209,470 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.37 million hectares, 5% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 389,143 hectares | 363,556 hectares | 414,730 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 331,828 hectares | 305,787 hectares | 357,870 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 273,963 hectares | 247,926 hectares | 300,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 225,805 hectares | 209,470 hectares | 242,140 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More environment data for Gambia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.15 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.18 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.366 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.36 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9281 % 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 -1.52 % 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 forest area in Gambia?
- Forest area in Gambia was 209,470 hectares in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 414,730 hectares in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 209,470 hectares in 2025.
- How does Gambia rank for forest area?
- Gambia ranks 156th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Forest 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).
About this data
Forest area is land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in situ, whether productive or not, and excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems.