Forest area in Australia
Australia: Forest area was 1.34 million sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
1.34 million sq. km
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
6th
of 214 countries
All-time high
1.34 million sq. km
in 2016
All-time low
1.30 million sq. km
in 2010
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Forest area in Australia, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
Australia recorded 1.34 million sq. km for forest area in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Australia peaked at 1.34 million sq. km in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.30 million sq. km, in 2010.
That places Australia 6th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Forest area in Australia, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.34 million sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 1.34 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 1.33 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 1.33 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 1.33 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 1.33 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 1.33 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 1.32 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 1.32 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 1.32 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 1.32 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 1.32 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 1.31 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 1.31 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 1.31 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 1.31 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 1.30 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 1.30 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 1.30 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 1.30 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 1.30 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 1.30 million sq. km | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 1.31 million sq. km | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 1.32 million sq. km | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.32 million sq. km | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 1.33 million sq. km | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 1.34 million sq. km | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 1.34 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.34 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.34 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.34 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.34 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.34 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.34 million sq. km | +0.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.34 million sq. km is above the median for high income countries, which is 4,978 sq. km, 269.2× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.34 million sq. km is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11,601 sq. km, 115.5× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.33 million sq. km | 1.32 million sq. km | 1.34 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.31 million sq. km | 1.30 million sq. km | 1.32 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.32 million sq. km | 1.30 million sq. km | 1.34 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.34 million sq. km | 1.34 million sq. km | 1.34 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0227 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,476 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5855 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1228 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Australia?
- Forest area in Australia was 1.34 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 Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.34 million sq. km in 2016.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.30 million sq. km in 2010.
- How does Australia rank for forest area?
- Australia ranks 6th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia 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.
Download this data
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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.