Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted was 44,920 hectares in 2025. ▬ Flat
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Costa Rica, 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 by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Costa Rica stood at 44,920 hectares.
That represents a change of down 6.2% on the previous year and down 29.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Costa Rica peaked at 105,160 hectares in 2000 and was at its lowest, 16,250 hectares, in 1990.
Costa Rica ranks 123rd of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 16,250 hectares | — |
| 1991 | 25,141 hectares | +54.7% |
| 1992 | 34,032 hectares | +35.4% |
| 1993 | 42,923 hectares | +26.1% |
| 1994 | 51,814 hectares | +20.7% |
| 1995 | 60,705 hectares | +17.2% |
| 1996 | 69,596 hectares | +14.6% |
| 1997 | 78,487 hectares | +12.8% |
| 1998 | 87,378 hectares | +11.3% |
| 1999 | 96,269 hectares | +10.2% |
| 2000 | 105,160 hectares | +9.2% |
| 2001 | 104,583 hectares | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 104,006 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 103,429 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 102,852 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 102,275 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 101,698 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 101,121 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 100,544 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 99,967 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 99,390 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 92,280 hectares | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 85,170 hectares | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 78,060 hectares | -8.3% |
| 2014 | 70,950 hectares | -9.1% |
| 2015 | 63,840 hectares | -10.0% |
| 2016 | 63,018 hectares | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 62,196 hectares | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 61,374 hectares | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 60,552 hectares | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 59,730 hectares | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 56,768 hectares | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 53,806 hectares | -5.2% |
| 2023 | 50,844 hectares | -5.5% |
| 2024 | 47,882 hectares | -5.8% |
| 2025 | 44,920 hectares | -6.2% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 44,920 hectares is below the median for high income countries, which is 377,020 hectares, 12% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 44,920 hectares is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 120,150 hectares, 37% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +54.7% | 16,250 hectares | 25,141 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 56,260 hectares | 16,250 hectares | 96,269 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 102,564 hectares | 99,967 hectares | 105,160 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 73,683 hectares | 60,552 hectares | 99,390 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 52,325 hectares | 44,920 hectares | 59,730 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More environment data for Costa Rica
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.71 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.257 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.61 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.09 % 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 -0.3048 % 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 by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Costa Rica?
- Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Costa Rica was 44,920 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 by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 105,160 hectares in 2000.
- What is the lowest forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 16,250 hectares in 1990.
- How does Costa Rica rank for forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted?
- Costa Rica ranks 123rd out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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 by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted. 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).