Forest area in Libya
Libya: Forest area was 205,330 hectares in 2025. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Libya, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area in Libya stood at 205,330 hectares. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Libya peaked at 217,000 hectares in 1990 and was at its lowest, 205,330 hectares, in 2025.
Libya ranks 157th 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 Libya, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 217,000 hectares | — |
| 1991 | 216,667 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 216,334 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 216,001 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 215,668 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 215,335 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 215,002 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 214,669 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 214,336 hectares | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 214,003 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 213,670 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 213,337 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 213,004 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 212,671 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 212,338 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 212,005 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 211,672 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 211,339 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 211,006 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 210,673 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 210,340 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 210,006 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 209,672 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 209,338 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 209,004 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 208,670 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 208,336 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 208,002 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 207,668 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 207,334 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 207,000 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 206,666 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 206,332 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 205,998 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 205,664 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 205,330 hectares | -0.2% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 205,330 hectares is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.29 million hectares, 9% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Libya's 205,330 hectares is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 205,330 hectares, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 215,502 hectares | 214,003 hectares | 217,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 212,172 hectares | 210,673 hectares | 213,670 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 208,837 hectares | 207,334 hectares | 210,340 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 206,165 hectares | 205,330 hectares | 207,000 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More environment data for Libya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -35.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -10.37 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.386 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.2239 % 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 0.1672 % 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 Libya?
- Forest area in Libya was 205,330 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 Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 217,000 hectares in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 205,330 hectares in 2025.
- How does Libya rank for forest area?
- Libya ranks 157th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Libya 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.