Forest area in Guatemala
Guatemala: Forest area was 34,930 sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Guatemala, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
The most recent figure for forest area in Guatemala is 34,930 sq. km, measured 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 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Guatemala peaked at 47,812 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 34,930 sq. km, in 2023.
That places Guatemala 84th 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 Guatemala, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 47,812 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 47,240 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 46,668 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 46,096 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 45,524 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 44,952 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 44,380 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 43,808 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 43,236 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 42,664 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 42,092 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 41,605 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 41,119 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 40,632 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 40,146 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 39,659 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 39,172 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 38,686 sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 38,199 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 37,713 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 37,226 sq. km | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 36,952 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 36,679 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 36,405 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 36,132 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 35,858 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 35,742 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 35,626 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 35,510 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 35,394 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 35,278 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 35,162 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 35,046 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 34,930 sq. km | -0.3% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 34,930 sq. km is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 23,056 sq. km, 1.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 34,930 sq. km is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 9,261 sq. km, 3.8× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 45,238 sq. km | 42,664 sq. km | 47,812 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 39,902 sq. km | 37,713 sq. km | 42,092 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 36,152 sq. km | 35,394 sq. km | 37,226 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 35,104 sq. km | 34,930 sq. km | 35,278 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More agriculture & rural data for Guatemala
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0955 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 630.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.437 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 9.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 9.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Guatemala?
- Forest area in Guatemala was 34,930 sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 47,812 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 34,930 sq. km in 2023.
- How does Guatemala rank for forest area?
- Guatemala ranks 84th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.