Forest area in Belize
Belize: Forest area was 12,436 sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Belize, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
Belize recorded 12,436 sq. km for forest area in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Belize peaked at 16,000 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 12,436 sq. km, in 2023.
That places Belize 116th out of 214 countries 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 in Belize, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 16,000 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 15,860 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 15,719 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 15,578 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 15,437 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 15,297 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 15,156 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 15,015 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 14,874 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 14,734 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 14,593 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 14,525 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 14,457 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 14,389 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 14,321 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 14,254 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 14,186 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 14,118 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 14,050 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 13,982 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 13,914 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 13,797 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 13,680 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 13,562 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 13,445 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 13,328 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 13,217 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 13,105 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 12,994 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 12,882 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 12,770 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 12,659 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 12,547 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 12,436 sq. km | -0.9% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 12,436 sq. km is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 23,056 sq. km, 54% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Belize's 12,436 sq. km is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 9,261 sq. km, 1.3× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15,367 sq. km | 14,734 sq. km | 16,000 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,287 sq. km | 13,982 sq. km | 14,593 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 13,392 sq. km | 12,882 sq. km | 13,914 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,603 sq. km | 12,436 sq. km | 12,770 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belize
- 113 Bangladesh 18,834 sq. km compare
- 114 Kyrgyzstan 13,701 sq. km compare
- 115 Switzerland 12,794 sq. km compare
- 117 Slovenia 12,317 sq. km compare
- 118 Afghanistan 12,084 sq. km compare
- 119 Togo 12,004 sq. km 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)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.9% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.9% (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 12,436 sq. km 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 16,000 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,436 sq. km in 2023.
- How does Belize rank for forest area?
- Belize ranks 116th out of 214 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 (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.