Forest area in Iceland
Iceland: Forest area was 533.13 sq. km in 2023. ▲ Rising
Forest area in Iceland, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 533.13 sq. km for forest area in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Iceland peaked at 533.13 sq. km in 2023 and was at its lowest, 170.7 sq. km, in 1990.
That places Iceland 164th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Forest area in Iceland, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 170.7 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 183.46 sq. km | +7.5% |
| 1992 | 196.22 sq. km | +7.0% |
| 1993 | 208.98 sq. km | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 221.74 sq. km | +6.1% |
| 1995 | 234.5 sq. km | +5.8% |
| 1996 | 247.26 sq. km | +5.4% |
| 1997 | 260.02 sq. km | +5.2% |
| 1998 | 272.78 sq. km | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 285.54 sq. km | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 298.3 sq. km | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 313.14 sq. km | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 327.98 sq. km | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 342.82 sq. km | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 357.66 sq. km | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 372.5 sq. km | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 387.34 sq. km | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 402.18 sq. km | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 417.02 sq. km | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 431.86 sq. km | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 446.7 sq. km | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 453.68 sq. km | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 460.66 sq. km | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 467.64 sq. km | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 474.62 sq. km | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 481.6 sq. km | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 486.6 sq. km | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 493.8 sq. km | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 500.4 sq. km | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 506.9 sq. km | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 513.5 sq. km | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 520 sq. km | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 526.6 sq. km | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 533.13 sq. km | +1.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 533.13 sq. km is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,978 sq. km, 11% of the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 533.13 sq. km is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21,183 sq. km, 3% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 228.12 sq. km | 170.7 sq. km | 285.54 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 365.08 sq. km | 298.3 sq. km | 431.86 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 477.26 sq. km | 446.7 sq. km | 506.9 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 523.31 sq. km | 513.5 sq. km | 533.13 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 161 Jordan 975 sq. km compare
- 162 Luxembourg 887 sq. km compare
- 163 Micronesia (country) 645.1 sq. km compare
- 165 Sao Tome and Principe 500.4 sq. km compare
- 166 Dominica 478.7 sq. km compare
- 167 Cape Verde 466.2 sq. km compare
More agriculture & rural data for Iceland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 19.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0365 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 3,593 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8983 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0578 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Iceland?
- Forest area in Iceland was 533.13 sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 533.13 sq. km in 2023.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 170.7 sq. km in 1990.
- How does Iceland rank for forest area?
- Iceland ranks 164th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland 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.