Primary Forest — Area in China
China: Primary Forest — Area was 12,953 1000 ha in 2025. ▲ Rising
Primary Forest — Area in China, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
In 2025, primary forest — area in China stood at 12,953 1000 ha. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary forest — area in China peaked at 12,953 1000 ha in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11,453 1000 ha, in 2000.
China ranks 15th of 182 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Primary Forest — Area in China, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 11,646 1000 ha | — |
| 1991 | 11,627 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 11,607 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 11,588 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 11,569 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 11,550 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 11,530 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 11,511 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 11,492 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 11,472 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 11,453 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 11,453 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 11,553 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 11,653 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 11,753 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 11,853 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 11,953 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 12,053 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 12,153 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 12,253 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 12,353 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 12,453 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 12,553 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 12,653 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 12,753 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 12,853 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 12,953 1000 ha | +0.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 12,953 1000 ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 41.45 1000 ha, 312.5× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- China's 12,953 1000 ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 241.05 1000 ha, 53.7× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11,559 1000 ha | 11,472 1000 ha | 11,646 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 11,453 1000 ha | 11,453 1000 ha | 11,453 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 11,903 1000 ha | 11,453 1000 ha | 12,353 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,703 1000 ha | 12,453 1000 ha | 12,953 1000 ha | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 12 Papua New Guinea 19,444 1000 ha compare
- 13 Australia and New Zealand 17,092 1000 ha compare
- 14 Australia 15,092 1000 ha compare
- 15 China, mainland 12,953 1000 ha compare
- 17 Congo 12,931 1000 ha compare
- 18 India 11,904 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 primary forest — area in China?
- Primary forest — area in China was 12,953 1000 ha in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest primary forest — area recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 12,953 1000 ha in 2025.
- What is the lowest primary forest — area recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,453 1000 ha in 2000.
- How does China rank for primary forest — area?
- China ranks 15th out of 182 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary forest — area rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. 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 Primary Forest — 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.