Share of forest area within protected areas in India
India: Share of forest area within protected areas was 18.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of forest area within protected areas in India, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of forest area within protected areas in India stood at 18.4%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of forest area within protected areas in India peaked at 18.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 1990.
India ranks 96th of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Share of forest area within protected areas in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.4% | — |
| 2000 | 13.7% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 17.0% | +23.7% |
| 2015 | 17.0% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 19.8% | +15.9% |
| 2017 | 19.8% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 19.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 19.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 18.1% | -8.5% |
| 2025 | 18.4% | +2.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 18.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.4%, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- India's 18.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 29.8%, 62% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.4% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 13.7% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 18.8% | 17.0% | 19.8% | 6 |
| 2020s | 18.3% | 18.1% | 18.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near India
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 17.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.92 % 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 1.12 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of forest area within protected areas in India?
- Share of forest area within protected areas in India was 18.4% in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of forest area within protected areas recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 18.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of forest area within protected areas recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 1990.
- How does India rank for share of forest area within protected areas?
- India ranks 96th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of forest area within protected areas rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of forest area within protected areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas (%).