Forest area in Gabon
Gabon: Forest area was 234,950 sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat
Forest area in Gabon, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
In 2023, forest area in Gabon stood at 234,950 sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Gabon peaked at 237,616 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 234,950 sq. km, in 2023.
Gabon ranks 24th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Forest area in Gabon, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 237,616 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 237,555 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 237,493 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 237,431 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 237,370 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 237,308 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 237,246 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 237,185 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 237,123 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 237,062 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 237,000 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 236,949 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 236,899 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 236,848 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 236,798 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 236,747 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 236,696 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 236,646 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 236,595 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 236,545 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 236,494 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 236,375 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 236,256 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 236,138 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 236,019 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 235,900 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 235,781 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 235,662 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 235,544 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 235,425 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 235,306 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 235,187 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 235,068 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 234,950 sq. km | -0.1% |
Gabon compared with similar countries
- Gabon's 234,950 sq. km is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 23,056 sq. km, 10.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Gabon's 234,950 sq. km is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59,081 sq. km, 4.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 237,339 sq. km | 237,062 sq. km | 237,616 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 236,772 sq. km | 236,545 sq. km | 237,000 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 235,959 sq. km | 235,425 sq. km | 236,494 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 235,128 sq. km | 234,950 sq. km | 235,306 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Gabon
More agriculture & rural data for Gabon
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0675 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 557.95 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6835 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0791 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.9% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.3% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Gabon?
- Forest area in Gabon was 234,950 sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Gabon?
- The highest recorded value was 237,616 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Gabon?
- The lowest recorded value was 234,950 sq. km in 2023.
- How does Gabon rank for forest area?
- Gabon ranks 24th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Gabon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Gabon 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.