Forest area in Mauritania
Mauritania: Forest area was 1.02 million hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1.02 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
128th
of 235 countries
All-time high
1.02 million hectares
in 2025
All-time low
927,150 hectares
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Forest area in Mauritania, 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 Mauritania stood at 1.02 million hectares. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Mauritania peaked at 1.02 million hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 927,150 hectares, in 1990.
Mauritania ranks 128th of 235 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Forest area in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 927,150 hectares | — |
| 1991 | 929,778 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 932,406 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 935,034 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 937,662 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 940,290 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 942,918 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 945,546 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 948,174 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 950,802 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 953,430 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 956,057 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 958,684 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 961,311 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 963,938 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 966,565 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 969,192 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 971,819 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 974,446 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 977,073 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 979,700 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 982,328 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 984,956 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 987,584 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 990,212 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 992,840 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 995,468 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 998,096 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 1.00 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 1.00 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 1.01 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 1.01 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 1.01 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 1.01 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 1.02 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 1.02 million hectares | +0.3% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 1.02 million hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.89 million hectares, 26% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 1.02 million hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.37 million hectares, 23% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 938,976 hectares | 927,150 hectares | 950,802 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 965,252 hectares | 953,430 hectares | 977,073 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 991,525 hectares | 979,700 hectares | 1.00 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.01 million hectares | 1.01 million hectares | 1.02 million hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 125 Niger 1.06 million hectares compare
- 126 East Timor 1.05 million hectares compare
- 127 North Macedonia 1.03 million hectares compare
- 129 Albania 941,000 hectares compare
- 130 Vanuatu 907,440 hectares compare
- 131 New Caledonia 892,610 hectares compare
More environment data for Mauritania
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.465 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.85 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.9 % 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 0.4893 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.0349 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Mauritania?
- Forest area in Mauritania was 1.02 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 Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 million hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 927,150 hectares in 1990.
- How does Mauritania rank for forest area?
- Mauritania ranks 128th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mauritania 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.