Forest area in Cameroon
Cameroon: Forest area was 201,725 sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Cameroon, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 201,725 sq. km for forest area in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Cameroon peaked at 225,000 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 201,725 sq. km, in 2023.
Cameroon ranks 30th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Forest area in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 225,000 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 224,097 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 223,195 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 222,292 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 221,390 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 220,487 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 219,585 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 218,682 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 217,780 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 216,877 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 215,975 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 215,278 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 214,581 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 213,884 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 213,187 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 212,490 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 211,793 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 211,096 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 210,399 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 209,702 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 209,005 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 208,445 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 207,885 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 207,325 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 206,765 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 206,205 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 205,645 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 205,085 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 204,525 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 203,965 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 203,405 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 202,845 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 202,285 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 201,725 sq. km | -0.3% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 201,725 sq. km is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 36,019 sq. km, 5.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 201,725 sq. km is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59,081 sq. km, 3.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 220,938 sq. km | 216,877 sq. km | 225,000 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 212,838 sq. km | 209,702 sq. km | 215,975 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 206,485 sq. km | 203,965 sq. km | 209,005 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 202,565 sq. km | 201,725 sq. km | 203,405 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More agriculture & rural data for Cameroon
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 0.9031 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1685 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 332.28 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4433 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 14.9% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Cameroon?
- Forest area in Cameroon was 201,725 sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 225,000 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 201,725 sq. km in 2023.
- How does Cameroon rank for forest area?
- Cameroon ranks 30th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon 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.