Forest area in Madagascar
Madagascar: Forest area was 123,902 sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Madagascar, 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 Madagascar is 123,902 sq. km, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Madagascar peaked at 136,934 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 123,902 sq. km, in 2023.
That places Madagascar 48th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Forest area in Madagascar, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 136,934 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 136,272 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 135,609 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 134,946 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 134,283 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 133,621 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 132,958 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 132,295 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 131,632 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 130,969 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 130,307 sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 129,838 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 129,369 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 128,901 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 128,432 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 127,963 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 127,495 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 127,026 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 126,557 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 126,088 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 125,620 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 125,488 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 125,355 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 125,223 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 125,091 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 124,959 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 124,827 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 124,695 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 124,562 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 124,430 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 124,298 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 124,166 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 124,034 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 123,902 sq. km | -0.1% |
Madagascar compared with similar countries
- Madagascar's 123,902 sq. km is above the median for low income countries, which is 39,804 sq. km, 3.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Madagascar's 123,902 sq. km is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59,081 sq. km, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 133,952 sq. km | 130,969 sq. km | 136,934 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 128,198 sq. km | 126,088 sq. km | 130,307 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 125,025 sq. km | 124,430 sq. km | 125,620 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 124,100 sq. km | 123,902 sq. km | 124,298 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Madagascar
More agriculture & rural data for Madagascar
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.217 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 130.06 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0011 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.671 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 21.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 21.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Madagascar?
- Forest area in Madagascar was 123,902 sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Madagascar?
- The highest recorded value was 136,934 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Madagascar?
- The lowest recorded value was 123,902 sq. km in 2023.
- How does Madagascar rank for forest area?
- Madagascar ranks 48th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Madagascar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Madagascar 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.