Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Korea
South Korea: Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted was 2.26 million hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2.26 million hectares
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
28th
of 185 countries
All-time high
2.28 million hectares
in 2015
All-time low
1.91 million hectares
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Korea, 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 South Korea is 2.26 million hectares, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Korea peaked at 2.28 million hectares in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1.91 million hectares, in 1990.
South Korea ranks 28th of 185 countries on this measure, 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 South Korea, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.91 million hectares | — |
| 1991 | 1.93 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 1.94 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 1.96 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 1.97 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 1.99 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 2.01 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 2.02 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 2.04 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 2.06 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 2.07 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 2.09 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 2.10 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 2.12 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 2.14 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 2.15 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 2.17 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 2.19 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 2.20 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 2.22 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 2.23 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 2.24 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 2.25 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 2.26 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 2.27 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 2.28 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 2.28 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 2.28 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 2.27 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 2.27 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 2.27 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 2.27 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 2.26 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 2.26 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 2.26 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 2.26 million hectares | -0.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 2.26 million hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 377,020 hectares, 6.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 2.26 million hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 302,515 hectares, 7.5× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.98 million hectares | 1.91 million hectares | 2.06 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.15 million hectares | 2.07 million hectares | 2.22 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.26 million hectares | 2.23 million hectares | 2.28 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.26 million hectares | 2.26 million hectares | 2.27 million hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More environment data for South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2791 % 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 -2.27 % 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 -0.2415 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Korea?
- Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in South Korea was 2.26 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 by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.28 million hectares in 2015.
- What is the lowest forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.91 million hectares in 1990.
- How does South Korea rank for forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted?
- South Korea ranks 28th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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).