Forest area (sq. km) in Tanzania
Tanzania: Forest area (sq. km) was 434,000 sq. km in 2025. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Tanzania, 1990–2025
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area in Tanzania stood at 434,000 sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Tanzania peaked at 581,650 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 434,000 sq. km, in 2025.
That places Tanzania 19th out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Forest area (sq. km) in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 581,650 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 577,620 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 573,590 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 569,560 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 565,530 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 561,500 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 557,470 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 553,440 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 549,410 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 545,380 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 541,350 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 537,320 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 533,290 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 529,260 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 525,230 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 521,200 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 517,170 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 513,140 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 509,110 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 505,080 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 501,050 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 497,020 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 492,990 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 488,960 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 484,930 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 480,900 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 476,210 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 471,520 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 466,830 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 462,140 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 457,450 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 452,760 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 448,070 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 443,380 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 438,690 sq. km | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 434,000 sq. km | -1.1% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 434,000 sq. km is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 37,741 sq. km, 11.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 434,000 sq. km is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43,718 sq. km, 9.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 563,515 sq. km | 545,380 sq. km | 581,650 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 523,215 sq. km | 505,080 sq. km | 541,350 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 482,255 sq. km | 462,140 sq. km | 501,050 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 445,725 sq. km | 434,000 sq. km | 457,450 sq. km | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 16 Argentina 465,980 sq. km compare
- 17 Central African Republic 450,949 sq. km compare
- 18 Zambia 448,743 sq. km compare
- 20 Papua New Guinea 340,290 sq. km compare
- 21 Mozambique 322,429 sq. km compare
- 22 Sweden 279,340 sq. km compare
More agriculture & rural data for Tanzania
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.6695 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.2257 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.266 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0004 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.5659 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2291 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 292.74 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.74 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Tanzania?
- Forest area in Tanzania was 434,000 sq. km in 2025, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 581,650 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 434,000 sq. km in 2025.
- How does Tanzania rank for forest area?
- Tanzania ranks 19th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tanzania 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.