China Forest Area
Forest area as % of land area AG.LND.FRST.ZS
China's forest area was 24.43% in 2025, ranked 120th globally. This represents a 1.7% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1990–2025.
Overview
China's forest area stood at 24.43% in 2025, a rise of +0.40% from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 24.43% by 2025. China ranked 120th globally.
China’s forest area has risen steadily over the 35‑year span from 1990 to 2025, expanding from 16.74 percent of land in 1990 to 24.43 percent in 2025, the highest level recorded for the country and placing it at rank 120 globally. This increase represents an absolute gain of 7.69 percentage points, reflecting the cumulative impact of large‑scale afforestation and reforestation programmes launched in the early 2000s. The 2025 figure of 24.43 percent is marginally lower than India’s 24.72 percent and closely aligned with the Philippines’ 24.69 percent, indicating that China now shares a similar forest‑cover profile with other rapidly developing Asian economies. The upward trajectory contrasts sharply with the trough of 16.74 percent in 1990, underscoring the effectiveness of policy interventions aimed at ecological restoration. Continued investment in sustainable forest management and stricter enforcement of land‑use regulations will be crucial to maintain this positive trend and potentially lift China into a higher global ranking in the coming decade.
Data & projection
| Year | Forest Area | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 24.63% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 24.43% | - | - |
| 2025 | 24.43% | +0.40% | #120 |
| 2023 | 24.03% | +0.20% | #122 |
| 2022 | 23.83% | +0.20% | #123 |
| 2021 | 23.63% | +0.20% | #123 |
| 2020 | 23.43% | +0.20% | #126 |
| 2019 | 23.23% | +0.20% | #126 |
| 2018 | 23.03% | +0.20% | #127 |
| 2017 | 22.83% | +0.20% | #127 |
| 2016 | 22.63% | +0.23% | #129 |
| 2015 | 22.40% | +0.21% | #131 |
| 2014 | 22.19% | +0.21% | #131 |
| 2013 | 21.99% | +0.21% | #131 |
| 2012 | 21.78% | +0.21% | #131 |
| 2011 | 21.57% | +0.21% | #131 |
| 2010 | 21.37% | +0.25% | #131 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
China matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2013. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw forest area improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
China's forest area was 24.43% in 2025. Ranked 120th globally. This represents a 1.7% increase from the previous year.
China's forest area peaked at 24.43% in 2025.
The lowest forest area in China was 16.74% in 1990.
China ranks 120th globally in forest area as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is AG.LND.FRST.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
China's forest area is projected to reach 24.43% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The forest area of China in 2025 was 24.43%. This ranks 120th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_china_forest-area,
title = {China Forest Area},
url = {https://historysaid.com/china/forest-area/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}