Forest area in Malaysia
Malaysia: Forest area was 189,636 sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Forest area in Malaysia, 1990–2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
In 2023, forest area in Malaysia stood at 189,636 sq. km.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest area in Malaysia peaked at 206,185 sq. km in 1990 and was at its lowest, 189,476 sq. km, in 2010.
Malaysia ranks 32nd of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 202,013 sq. km | 197,841 sq. km | 206,185 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 193,567 sq. km | 190,220 sq. km | 196,914 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 192,193 sq. km | 189,476 sq. km | 194,642 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 190,388 sq. km | 189,636 sq. km | 191,140 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More agriculture & rural data for Malaysia
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2025)
- Rural population 22.6% (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.9% (2025)
- Rural population 8.13 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 8.2% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 38.79 billion current US$ (2025)
- Land under cereal production 615,072 hectares (2023)
- Cereal yield 3,524 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal production 2.17 million metric tons (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest area in Malaysia?
- Forest area in Malaysia was 189,636 sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest forest area recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 206,185 sq. km in 1990.
- What is the lowest forest area recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 189,476 sq. km in 2010.
- How does Malaysia rank for forest area?
- Malaysia ranks 32nd out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is forest area rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.