Forest area in Namibia
Namibia: Forest area was 7.22 million hectares in 2011. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Namibia, 1990–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for forest area in Namibia is 7.22 million hectares, measured in 2011. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Namibia peaked at 8.76 million hectares in 1990 and was at its lowest, 7.22 million hectares, in 2011.
That places Namibia 21st 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 Namibia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.76 million hectares | — |
| 1991 | 8.69 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 8.62 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 8.54 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 8.47 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 8.40 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 8.32 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 8.25 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 8.18 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 8.11 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 8.03 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 7.96 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 7.88 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 7.81 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 7.74 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 7.66 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 7.59 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 7.51 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 7.44 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 7.36 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 7.29 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 7.22 million hectares | -1.0% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 7.22 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.98 million hectares, 1.4× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 7.22 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.59 million hectares, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.43 million hectares | 8.11 million hectares | 8.76 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.70 million hectares | 7.36 million hectares | 8.03 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.25 million hectares | 7.22 million hectares | 7.29 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More agriculture & rural data for Namibia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0699 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 340.78 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4913 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Namibia?
- Forest area in Namibia was 7.22 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.76 million hectares in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.22 million hectares in 2011.
- How does Namibia rank for forest area?
- Namibia ranks 21st out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia 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.