Forest area (sq. km) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Forest area (sq. km) was 5.21 million sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Least developed countries, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
Least developed countries recorded 5.21 million sq. km for forest area in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Least developed countries peaked at 5.92 million sq. km in 1993 and was at its lowest, 5.21 million sq. km, in 2023.
That places Least developed countries 24th out of 47 groups 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 (sq. km) in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5.80 million sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 5.77 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 5.74 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 5.92 million sq. km | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 5.89 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 5.87 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 5.84 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 5.81 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 5.79 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 5.76 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 5.73 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 5.70 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 5.67 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 5.65 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 5.62 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 5.59 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 5.56 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 5.53 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 5.50 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 5.47 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 5.44 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 5.40 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 5.64 million sq. km | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 5.60 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 5.56 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 5.52 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 5.48 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 5.44 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 5.40 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 5.36 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 5.32 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 5.29 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 5.25 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 5.21 million sq. km | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.82 million sq. km | 5.74 million sq. km | 5.92 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.60 million sq. km | 5.47 million sq. km | 5.73 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.48 million sq. km | 5.36 million sq. km | 5.64 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.27 million sq. km | 5.21 million sq. km | 5.32 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
More agriculture & rural data for Least developed countries
- Rural population 63.4% (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6336 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2019)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 20.4% (2025)
- Rural population 769.36 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 337.24 billion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Least developed countries?
- Forest area in Least developed countries was 5.21 million sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 5.92 million sq. km in 1993.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.21 million sq. km in 2023.
- How does Least developed countries rank for forest area?
- Least developed countries ranks 24th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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.