China vs Indonesia: Forest area (sq. km)
China
2.27 million sq. km
in 2025
Indonesia
959,693 sq. km
in 2025
China rank
5th
Indonesia rank
8th
Forest area (sq. km) over time
- China
- Indonesia
How they compare
China currently reports 2.27 million sq. km against 959,693 sq. km in Indonesia, a difference of 1.31 million sq. km.
That makes China's figure about 2.4 times Indonesia's.
Across all 36 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 5th and Indonesia ranks 8th of 214 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Indonesia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.66 million sq. km | 1.05 million sq. km | 607,127 sq. km | China |
| 2000s | 1.88 million sq. km | 939,146 sq. km | 937,103 sq. km | China |
| 2010s | 2.09 million sq. km | 955,179 sq. km | 1.14 million sq. km | China |
| 2020s | 2.23 million sq. km | 957,656 sq. km | 1.27 million sq. km | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher forest area, China or Indonesia?
- China, at 2.27 million sq. km against 959,693 sq. km in Indonesia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in forest area between China and Indonesia?
- 1.31 million sq. km, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Indonesia?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do China and Indonesia rank globally for forest area?
- China ranks 5th and Indonesia ranks 8th of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Forest area (sq. km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Forest area is land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in situ, whether productive or not, and excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems (for example, in fruit plantations and agroforestry systems) and trees in urban parks and gardens.