Forest area in South America
South America: Forest area was 848,636 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
848,636
Rank
7th
of 32 groups
All-time high
1.03 million
in 1990
All-time low
848,636
in 2025
Years of data
6
1990–2025
Forest area in South America, 1990–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area in South America stood at 848,636. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in South America peaked at 1.03 million in 1990 and was at its lowest, 848,636, in 2025.
That places South America 7th out of 32 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Forest area in South America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.03 million | — |
| 2000 | 955,042 | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 905,500 | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 889,598 | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 870,425 | -2.2% |
| 2025 | 848,636 | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.03 million | 1.03 million | 1.03 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 955,042 | 955,042 | 955,042 | 1 |
| 2010s | 897,549 | 889,598 | 905,500 | 2 |
| 2020s | 859,530 | 848,636 | 870,425 | 2 |
Countries ranked near South America
More environment data for South America
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.218 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.23 °C (2025)
- Roundwood — Production 477.72 million m3 (2024)
- Roundwood, non-coniferous — Production 379.32 million m3 (2024)
- Roundwood, coniferous — Production 98.40 million m3 (2024)
- Roundwood — Export value 589,290 1000 USD (2024)
- Roundwood — Export quantity 4.28 million m3 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in South America?
- Forest area in South America was 848,636 in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest forest area recorded in South America?
- The highest recorded value was 1.03 million in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in South America?
- The lowest recorded value was 848,636 in 2025.
- How does South America rank for forest area?
- South America ranks 7th out of 32 groups with data for 2025.
- Is forest area rising or falling in South America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South America data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Forest area (thousands of hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).