Share of forest area within protected areas in South Korea
South Korea: Share of forest area within protected areas was 7.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of forest area within protected areas in South Korea, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 7.2% for share of forest area within protected areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of forest area within protected areas in South Korea peaked at 7.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 1990.
That places South Korea 153rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Share of forest area within protected areas in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3.4% | — |
| 2000 | 5.3% | +54.7% |
| 2010 | 6.5% | +22.6% |
| 2015 | 7.0% | +7.7% |
| 2016 | 7.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 6.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7.1% | +3.5% |
| 2025 | 7.2% | +1.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 7.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 16.0%, 45% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 7.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 16.2%, 44% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 6.9% | 6.5% | 7.0% | 6 |
| 2020s | 7.1% | 7.1% | 7.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More environment data for South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2791 % 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 -2.27 % 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 -0.2415 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of forest area within protected areas in South Korea?
- Share of forest area within protected areas in South Korea was 7.2% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 7.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of forest area within protected areas recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 1990.
- How does South Korea rank for share of forest area within protected areas?
- South Korea ranks 153rd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of forest area within protected areas rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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.
Download this data
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 (%).