Forest area in Botswana
Botswana: Forest area was 11.23 million hectares in 2011. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Botswana, 1990–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2011, forest area in Botswana stood at 11.23 million hectares. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Botswana peaked at 13.72 million hectares in 1990 and was at its lowest, 11.23 million hectares, in 2011.
That places Botswana 16th out of 53 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Forest area in Botswana, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.72 million hectares | — |
| 1991 | 13.60 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 13.48 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 13.36 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 13.24 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 13.13 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 13.01 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 12.89 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 12.77 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 12.65 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 12.54 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 12.42 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 12.30 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 12.18 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 12.06 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 11.94 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 11.82 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 11.71 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 11.59 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 11.47 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 11.35 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 11.23 million hectares | -1.0% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 11.23 million hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.55 million hectares, 7.3× the median. (8 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 11.23 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.59 million hectares, 2.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.19 million hectares | 12.65 million hectares | 13.72 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.00 million hectares | 11.47 million hectares | 12.54 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.29 million hectares | 11.23 million hectares | 11.35 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More agriculture & rural data for Botswana
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0178 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 138.54 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0839 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3204 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Botswana?
- Forest area in Botswana was 11.23 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 13.72 million hectares in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.23 million hectares in 2011.
- How does Botswana rank for forest area?
- Botswana ranks 16th out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Forest area (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.