Forest area (sq. km) in North America
North America: Forest area (sq. km) was 6.57 million sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat
Forest area in North America, 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 North America is 6.57 million sq. km, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in North America peaked at 6.57 million sq. km in 2015 and was at its lowest, 6.51 million sq. km, in 1990.
North America ranks 18th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Forest area (sq. km) in North America, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6.51 million sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6.51 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6.52 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 6.52 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 6.53 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 6.53 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 6.54 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 6.54 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 6.55 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 6.55 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 6.56 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 6.56 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 6.56 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6.57 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6.57 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6.57 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6.57 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6.57 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 6.57 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 6.57 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 6.57 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 6.57 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 6.57 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 6.57 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 6.57 million sq. km | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.51 million sq. km | 6.51 million sq. km | 6.51 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.53 million sq. km | 6.51 million sq. km | 6.56 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.57 million sq. km | 6.56 million sq. km | 6.57 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.57 million sq. km | 6.57 million sq. km | 6.57 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 15 Venezuela 470,882 sq. km compare
- 16 Argentina 465,980 sq. km compare
- 17 Central African Republic 450,949 sq. km compare
- 18 Zambia 448,743 sq. km compare
- 19 Tanzania 434,000 sq. km compare
- 20 Papua New Guinea 340,290 sq. km compare
- 21 Mozambique 322,429 sq. km compare
More agriculture & rural data for North America
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 256.06 billion current US$ (2021)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1951 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2025)
- Rural population 19.5% (2025)
- Rural population 74.83 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.2% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.1578 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.0% (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in North America?
- Forest area in North America was 6.57 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 6.57 million sq. km in 2015.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.51 million sq. km in 1990.
- How does North America rank for forest area?
- North America ranks 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North America 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.