Forest area (sq. km), per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Forest area (sq. km), per capita was 0.0049 sq. km per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area (sq. km), per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in sq. km per person.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 0.0049 sq. km per person for forest area (sq. km), per capita in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and down 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area (sq. km), per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 0.0131 sq. km per person in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.0049 sq. km per person, in 2023.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Forest area (sq. km), per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | sq. km per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.0131 sq. km per person | — |
| 1991 | 0.0127 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 0.0123 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 0.0123 sq. km per person | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 0.0119 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 0.0115 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 0.0112 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 0.0108 sq. km per person | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 0.0105 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 0.0102 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 0.0099 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 0.0096 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 0.0093 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 0.009 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 0.0087 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 0.0084 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 0.0081 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 0.0079 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 0.0076 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 0.0074 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 0.0072 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0069 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 0.007 sq. km per person | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 0.0067 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 0.0065 sq. km per person | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 0.0063 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 0.0061 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 0.0059 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 0.0057 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0055 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 0.0054 sq. km per person | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 0.0052 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 0.005 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 0.0049 sq. km per person | -3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0117 sq. km per person | 0.0102 sq. km per person | 0.0131 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0086 sq. km per person | 0.0074 sq. km per person | 0.0099 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0064 sq. km per person | 0.0055 sq. km per person | 0.0072 sq. km per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0051 sq. km per person | 0.0049 sq. km per person | 0.0054 sq. km per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 16 Belize 0.0302 sq. km per person compare
- 17 New Caledonia 0.0289 sq. km per person compare
- 18 Sweden 0.0266 sq. km per person compare
- 19 Palau 0.0235 sq. km per person compare
- 20 Brazil 0.0233 sq. km per person compare
- 21 Paraguay 0.0223 sq. km per person compare
- 22 Norway 0.0221 sq. km per person compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.1% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 17.9% (2025)
- Rural population 731.42 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area (sq. km), per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Forest area (sq. km), per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa was 0.0049 sq. km per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest forest area (sq. km), per capita recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0131 sq. km per person in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area (sq. km), per capita recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0049 sq. km per person in 2023.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for forest area (sq. km), per capita?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is forest area (sq. km), per capita rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Forest area (sq. km), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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How this figure is calculated
Forest area (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Forest area (sq. km) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Forest area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Forest area (sq. km) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.