Forest area in IBRD only
IBRD only: Forest area was 23.88 million sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat
Forest area in IBRD only, 1992–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
In 2023, forest area in IBRD only stood at 23.88 million sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in IBRD only peaked at 24.70 million sq. km in 1992 and was at its lowest, 23.88 million sq. km, in 2023.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.53 million sq. km | 24.36 million sq. km | 24.70 million sq. km | 8 |
| 2000s | 24.21 million sq. km | 24.11 million sq. km | 24.31 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.00 million sq. km | 23.93 million sq. km | 24.08 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.90 million sq. km | 23.88 million sq. km | 23.92 million sq. km | 4 |
More agriculture & rural data for IBRD only
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.7% (2024)
- Rural population 41.4% (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Rural population 2.07 billion (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 7.6% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.29 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Land under cereal production 211.15 million hectares (2024)
- Cereal yield 3,776 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal production 797.29 million metric tons (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in IBRD only?
- Forest area in IBRD only was 23.88 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 IBRD only?
- The highest recorded value was 24.70 million sq. km in 1992.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in IBRD only?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.88 million sq. km in 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in IBRD only?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this IBRD only 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 — 32 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.