Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted was 2.93 million hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2.93 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
17th
of 185 countries
All-time high
2.93 million hectares
in 2025
All-time low
2.43 million hectares
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 2.93 million hectares. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in United Kingdom peaked at 2.93 million hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.43 million hectares, in 1990.
That places United Kingdom 17th out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.43 million hectares | — |
| 1991 | 2.45 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 2.47 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 2.49 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 2.50 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 2.52 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 2.54 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 2.56 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 2.57 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 2.59 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 2.61 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 2.62 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 2.63 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 2.64 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 2.65 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 2.66 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 2.67 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 2.68 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 2.69 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 2.70 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 2.71 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 2.73 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 2.75 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 2.77 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 2.79 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 2.81 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 2.82 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 2.83 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 2.85 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 2.86 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 2.87 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 2.88 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 2.90 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 2.91 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 2.92 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 2.93 million hectares | +0.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 2.93 million hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 377,020 hectares, 7.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 2.93 million hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 430,910 hectares, 6.8× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.51 million hectares | 2.43 million hectares | 2.59 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.66 million hectares | 2.61 million hectares | 2.70 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.79 million hectares | 2.71 million hectares | 2.86 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.90 million hectares | 2.87 million hectares | 2.93 million hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.13 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.25 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.47 % 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 -0.8735 % 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 -1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in United Kingdom?
- Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted in United Kingdom was 2.93 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 2.93 million hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.43 million hectares in 1990.
- How does United Kingdom rank for forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted?
- United Kingdom ranks 17th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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).