Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Iceland
Iceland: Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted was 49,470 hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
49,470 hectares
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
119th
of 185 countries
All-time high
49,470 hectares
in 2025
All-time low
7,420 hectares
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Iceland, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 49,470 hectares for forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Iceland peaked at 49,470 hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7,420 hectares, in 1990.
Iceland ranks 119th of 185 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 by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Iceland, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7,420 hectares | — |
| 1991 | 8,806 hectares | +18.7% |
| 1992 | 10,192 hectares | +15.7% |
| 1993 | 11,578 hectares | +13.6% |
| 1994 | 12,964 hectares | +12.0% |
| 1995 | 14,350 hectares | +10.7% |
| 1996 | 15,736 hectares | +9.7% |
| 1997 | 17,122 hectares | +8.8% |
| 1998 | 18,508 hectares | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 19,894 hectares | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 21,280 hectares | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 22,889 hectares | +7.6% |
| 2002 | 24,498 hectares | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 26,107 hectares | +6.6% |
| 2004 | 27,716 hectares | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 29,325 hectares | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 30,934 hectares | +5.5% |
| 2007 | 32,543 hectares | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 34,152 hectares | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 35,761 hectares | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 37,370 hectares | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 38,226 hectares | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 39,082 hectares | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 39,938 hectares | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 40,794 hectares | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 41,650 hectares | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 42,294 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 42,938 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 43,582 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 44,226 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 44,870 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 45,790 hectares | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 46,710 hectares | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 47,630 hectares | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 48,550 hectares | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 49,470 hectares | +1.9% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 49,470 hectares is below the median for high income countries, which is 377,020 hectares, 13% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 49,470 hectares is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 430,910 hectares, 11% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13,657 hectares | 7,420 hectares | 19,894 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 28,520 hectares | 21,280 hectares | 35,761 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 41,010 hectares | 37,370 hectares | 44,226 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 47,170 hectares | 44,870 hectares | 49,470 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More environment data for Iceland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.587 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8549 % 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 -1.93 % 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Iceland?
- Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Iceland was 49,470 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 by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 49,470 hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7,420 hectares in 1990.
- How does Iceland rank for forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted?
- Iceland ranks 119th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland 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).