Forest area in Kenya
Kenya: Forest area was 3.91 million hectares in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
3.91 million hectares
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
78th
of 235 countries
All-time high
3.91 million hectares
in 2025
All-time low
3.38 million hectares
in 2015
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Forest area in Kenya, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 3.91 million hectares for forest area in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Kenya peaked at 3.91 million hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.38 million hectares, in 2015.
That places Kenya 78th out of 235 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Forest area in Kenya, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3.74 million hectares | — |
| 1991 | 3.75 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 3.76 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 3.76 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 3.77 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 3.78 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 3.79 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 3.79 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 3.80 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 3.81 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 3.82 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 3.82 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 3.83 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 3.83 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 3.84 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 3.85 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 3.85 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 3.86 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 3.87 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 3.87 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 3.88 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 3.78 million hectares | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 3.68 million hectares | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 3.58 million hectares | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 3.48 million hectares | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 3.38 million hectares | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 3.43 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 3.47 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 3.51 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 3.55 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 3.59 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 3.66 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 3.72 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 3.78 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 3.85 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 3.91 million hectares | +1.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 3.91 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.89 million hectares, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 3.91 million hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.37 million hectares, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.77 million hectares | 3.74 million hectares | 3.81 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.84 million hectares | 3.82 million hectares | 3.87 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.57 million hectares | 3.38 million hectares | 3.88 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.75 million hectares | 3.59 million hectares | 3.91 million hectares | 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)
- 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)
- 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 Kenya?
- Forest area in Kenya was 3.91 million 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 3.91 million hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.38 million hectares in 2015.
- How does Kenya rank for forest area?
- Kenya ranks 78th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area 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 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.