Forest area in Malaysia
Malaysia: Forest area was 57.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Malaysia, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 57.7% for forest area in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Malaysia peaked at 62.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 57.7%, in 2010.
Malaysia ranks 31st 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 62.8% | — |
| 1991 | 62.5% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 62.2% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 61.9% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 61.6% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 61.3% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 61.1% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 60.8% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 60.5% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 60.2% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 59.9% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 59.7% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 59.5% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 59.3% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 59.0% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 58.8% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 58.6% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 58.3% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 58.1% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 57.9% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 57.7% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 58.0% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 58.3% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 58.6% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 58.9% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 59.2% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 58.8% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 58.6% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 58.5% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 58.3% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 58.2% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 58.0% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 57.9% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 57.7% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 61.5% | 60.2% | 62.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.9% | 57.9% | 59.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.5% | 57.7% | 59.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.9% | 57.7% | 58.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More agriculture & rural data for Malaysia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0822 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,078 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.913 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2261 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Malaysia?
- Forest area in Malaysia was 57.7% in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 62.8% in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.7% in 2010.
- How does Malaysia rank for forest area?
- Malaysia ranks 31st out of 213 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.
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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.