Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Ireland
Ireland: Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted was 715,520 hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
715,520 hectares
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
45th
of 185 countries
All-time high
715,520 hectares
in 2025
All-time low
380,250 hectares
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Ireland, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Ireland is 715,520 hectares, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Ireland peaked at 715,520 hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 380,250 hectares, in 1990.
That places Ireland 45th out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Ireland, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 380,250 hectares | — |
| 1991 | 397,117 hectares | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 413,984 hectares | +4.2% |
| 1993 | 430,851 hectares | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 447,718 hectares | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 464,585 hectares | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 481,452 hectares | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 498,319 hectares | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 515,186 hectares | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 532,053 hectares | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 548,920 hectares | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 557,986 hectares | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 567,052 hectares | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 576,118 hectares | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 585,184 hectares | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 594,250 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 603,316 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 612,382 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 621,448 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 630,514 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 639,580 hectares | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 643,224 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 646,868 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 650,512 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 654,156 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 657,800 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 662,492 hectares | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 667,184 hectares | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 671,876 hectares | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 676,568 hectares | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 681,260 hectares | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 688,112 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 694,964 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 701,816 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 708,668 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 715,520 hectares | +1.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 715,520 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 377,020 hectares, 1.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 715,520 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 430,910 hectares, 1.7× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 456,152 hectares | 380,250 hectares | 532,053 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 589,717 hectares | 548,920 hectares | 630,514 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 657,026 hectares | 639,580 hectares | 676,568 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 698,390 hectares | 681,260 hectares | 715,520 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.13 % 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 -0.0083 % 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 Ireland?
- Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in Ireland was 715,520 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 715,520 hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 380,250 hectares in 1990.
- How does Ireland rank for forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted?
- Ireland ranks 45th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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).