Forest area (sq. km) in Zambia
Zambia: Forest area (sq. km) was 448,743 sq. km in 2025. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Zambia, 1990–2025
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
In 2025, forest area in Zambia stood at 448,743 sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Zambia peaked at 474,120 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 448,743 sq. km, in 2025.
Zambia ranks 18th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Forest area (sq. km) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 474,120 sq. km | — |
| 1991 | 473,762 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 473,404 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 473,046 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 472,688 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 472,330 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 471,972 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 471,614 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 471,256 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 470,898 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 470,540 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 470,182 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 469,824 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 469,466 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 469,108 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 468,750 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 468,392 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 468,034 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 467,676 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 467,318 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 466,960 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 465,078 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 463,196 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 461,315 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 459,433 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 457,551 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 456,761 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 455,971 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 455,181 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 454,391 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 453,601 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 452,629 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 451,658 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 450,686 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 449,714 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 448,743 sq. km | -0.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 448,743 sq. km is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 37,741 sq. km, 11.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 448,743 sq. km is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43,718 sq. km, 10.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 472,509 sq. km | 470,898 sq. km | 474,120 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 468,929 sq. km | 467,318 sq. km | 470,540 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 459,584 sq. km | 454,391 sq. km | 466,960 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 451,172 sq. km | 448,743 sq. km | 453,601 sq. km | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 15 Venezuela 470,882 sq. km compare
- 16 Argentina 465,980 sq. km compare
- 17 Central African Republic 450,949 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 Zambia
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0001 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1752 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0008 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 1.09 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 65.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0411 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 54.11 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.97 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Zambia?
- Forest area in Zambia was 448,743 sq. km in 2025, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 474,120 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 448,743 sq. km in 2025.
- How does Zambia rank for forest area?
- Zambia ranks 18th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.