Forest area (sq. km) in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Forest area (sq. km) was 32,370 sq. km in 2025. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Burkina Faso, 1990–2025
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area in Burkina Faso stood at 32,370 sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 3.6% on the previous year and down 27.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Burkina Faso peaked at 82,991 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 32,370 sq. km, in 2025.
Burkina Faso ranks 88th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Forest area (sq. km) in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 82,991 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 81,070 sq. km | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 79,149 sq. km | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 77,228 sq. km | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 75,306 sq. km | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 73,385 sq. km | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 71,464 sq. km | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 69,543 sq. km | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 67,622 sq. km | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 65,701 sq. km | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 63,780 sq. km | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 62,437 sq. km | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 61,094 sq. km | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 59,750 sq. km | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 58,407 sq. km | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 57,064 sq. km | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 55,721 sq. km | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 54,378 sq. km | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 53,035 sq. km | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 51,692 sq. km | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 50,349 sq. km | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 49,150 sq. km | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 47,952 sq. km | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 46,753 sq. km | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 45,554 sq. km | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 44,356 sq. km | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 43,157 sq. km | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 41,958 sq. km | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 40,760 sq. km | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 39,561 sq. km | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 38,363 sq. km | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 37,164 sq. km | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 35,966 sq. km | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 34,767 sq. km | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 33,568 sq. km | -3.4% |
| 2025 | 32,370 sq. km | -3.6% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 32,370 sq. km is above the median for low income countries, which is 32,370 sq. km, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 32,370 sq. km is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43,718 sq. km, 74% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 74,346 sq. km | 65,701 sq. km | 82,991 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 57,736 sq. km | 51,692 sq. km | 63,780 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 44,955 sq. km | 39,561 sq. km | 50,349 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 35,366 sq. km | 32,370 sq. km | 38,363 sq. km | 6 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More agriculture & rural data for Burkina Faso
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 1.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0003 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.3731 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.946 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0005 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.6223 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1994 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 228.86 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Burkina Faso?
- Forest area in Burkina Faso was 32,370 sq. km in 2025, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 82,991 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 32,370 sq. km in 2025.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for forest area?
- Burkina Faso ranks 88th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burkina Faso 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
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.