Forest area (sq. km) in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Forest area (sq. km) was 1.77 million sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Africa Western and Central, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
Africa Western and Central recorded 1.77 million sq. km for forest area in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Africa Western and Central peaked at 2.06 million sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.77 million sq. km, in 2023.
That places Africa Western and Central 32nd 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) in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.06 million sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 2.05 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 2.04 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 2.03 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 2.02 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 2.01 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 2.00 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 1.99 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 1.97 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 1.96 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 1.95 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 1.95 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 1.94 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 1.93 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 1.92 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.91 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 1.90 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 1.90 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.89 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 1.88 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 1.87 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 1.86 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 1.85 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.85 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 1.84 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 1.83 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 1.82 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 1.82 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 1.81 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 1.80 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 1.79 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.78 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 1.78 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 1.77 million sq. km | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.01 million sq. km | 1.96 million sq. km | 2.06 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.92 million sq. km | 1.88 million sq. km | 1.95 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.83 million sq. km | 1.80 million sq. km | 1.87 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.78 million sq. km | 1.77 million sq. km | 1.79 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More agriculture & rural data for Africa Western and Central
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 186.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4652 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2024)
- Rural population 46.5% (2025)
- Rural population 247.88 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 21.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Africa Western and Central?
- Forest area in Africa Western and Central was 1.77 million sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 2.06 million sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.77 million sq. km in 2023.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for forest area?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Forest area (sq. km). 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.