Forest area (sq. km) in Low & middle income
Low & middle income: Forest area (sq. km) was 21.61 million sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Low & middle income, 1992–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
In 2023, forest area in Low & middle income stood at 21.61 million sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Low & middle income peaked at 23.27 million sq. km in 1993 and was at its lowest, 21.61 million sq. km, in 2023.
That places Low & middle income 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Forest area (sq. km) in Low & middle income, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 23.15 million sq. km | — |
| 1993 | 23.27 million sq. km | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 23.18 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 23.10 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 23.01 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 22.93 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 22.85 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 22.76 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 22.68 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 22.61 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 22.55 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 22.48 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 22.42 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 22.35 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 22.32 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 22.26 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 22.19 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 22.13 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 22.07 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 22.01 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 22.22 million sq. km | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 22.16 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 22.10 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 22.04 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 21.99 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 21.92 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 21.87 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 21.82 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 21.77 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 21.71 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 21.66 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 21.61 million sq. km | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.03 million sq. km | 22.76 million sq. km | 23.27 million sq. km | 8 |
| 2000s | 22.40 million sq. km | 22.13 million sq. km | 22.68 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.02 million sq. km | 21.82 million sq. km | 22.22 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.69 million sq. km | 21.61 million sq. km | 21.77 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Low & middle income
More agriculture & rural data for Low & middle income
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.77 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4688 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2025)
- Rural population 46.9% (2025)
- Rural population 3.18 billion (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3404 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 9.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Low & middle income?
- Forest area in Low & middle income was 21.61 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 Low & middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 23.27 million sq. km in 1993.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Low & middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.61 million sq. km in 2023.
- How does Low & middle income rank for forest area?
- Low & middle income ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Low & middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Low & middle income 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.