Forest area in Belize
Belize: Forest area was 54.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Belize, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, forest area in Belize stood at 54.5%. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Belize peaked at 70.1% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 54.5%, in 2023.
Belize ranks 40th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Forest area in Belize, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 70.1% | — |
| 1991 | 69.5% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 68.9% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 68.3% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 67.7% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 67.1% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 66.4% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 65.8% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 65.2% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 64.6% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 64.0% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 63.7% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 63.4% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 62.8% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 62.5% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 62.2% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 61.9% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 61.6% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 61.3% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 61.0% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 60.5% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 60.0% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 59.5% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 58.9% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 58.4% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 57.9% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 57.5% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 57.0% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 56.5% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 56.0% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 55.5% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 55.0% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 54.5% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 67.4% | 64.6% | 70.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.6% | 61.3% | 64.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.7% | 56.5% | 61.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.3% | 54.5% | 56.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belize
- 37 Puerto Rico 56.1% compare
- 38 Peru 56.1% compare
- 39 Latvia 55.0% compare
- 41 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 54.2% compare
- 42 Northern Mariana Islands 53.0% compare
- 43 Colombia 52.8% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Belize
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0795 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 610.5 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5844 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 7.95 (2024)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 7.95 (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Belize?
- Forest area in Belize was 54.5% in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 70.1% in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.5% in 2023.
- How does Belize rank for forest area?
- Belize ranks 40th out of 213 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Forest area (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forest area (% of land area) is the share of total land area that is 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.