Forest land — Area in China
China: Forest land — Area was 227,153 1000 ha in 2025. ▲ Rising
Forest land — Area in China, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for forest land — area in China is 227,153 1000 ha, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest land — area in China peaked at 227,153 1000 ha in 2025 and was at its lowest, 157,141 1000 ha, in 1990.
China ranks 7th of 249 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Forest land — Area in China, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 157,141 1000 ha | — |
| 1991 | 159,127 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 161,113 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 163,099 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 165,085 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 167,071 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 169,057 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 171,043 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 173,029 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 175,015 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 177,001 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 179,362 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 181,723 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 184,084 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 186,444 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 188,805 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 191,166 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 193,527 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 195,888 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 198,249 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 200,610 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 202,547 1000 ha | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 204,484 1000 ha | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 206,421 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 208,357 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 210,294 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 212,055 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 213,816 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 215,576 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 217,337 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 219,098 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 220,709 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 222,320 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 223,931 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 225,542 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 227,153 1000 ha | +0.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 227,153 1000 ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,330 1000 ha, 97.5× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 227,153 1000 ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,137 1000 ha, 199.9× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 166,078 1000 ha | 157,141 1000 ha | 175,015 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 187,625 1000 ha | 177,001 1000 ha | 198,249 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 209,150 1000 ha | 200,610 1000 ha | 217,337 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 223,126 1000 ha | 219,098 1000 ha | 227,153 1000 ha | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 4 Brazil 486,087 1000 ha compare
- 5 Canada 368,819 1000 ha compare
- 6 United States 308,895 1000 ha compare
- 7 China, mainland 227,153 1000 ha compare
- 9 Australia and New Zealand 143,865 1000 ha compare
- 10 Democratic Republic of the Congo 139,189 1000 ha compare
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % 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 -0.2517 % 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 land — area in China?
- Forest land — area in China was 227,153 1000 ha in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest forest land — area recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 227,153 1000 ha in 2025.
- What is the lowest forest land — area recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 157,141 1000 ha in 1990.
- How does China rank for forest land — area?
- China ranks 7th out of 249 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest land — area rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Forest land — Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The FAOSTAT Land Use domain contains data on twenty-one land use categories and twenty-three categories of irrigation and agricultural practices. Data are available yearly and by country, regional and global levels. The domain includes Land Use Indicators providing information on the percentage share of agricultural and forest land, and their sub-components, including irrigated areas and areas under organic agriculture, within a country land use matrix. Data are available at country, regional and global level, for the following elements: (in percentage) i) Share in Land area; ii) Share in Agricultural land, iii) Share in Cropland; and iv) Share in Forest land; (in ha/pc) v) Area per capita.