Australia — Forest area
Forest Area (% of Land Area) for Australia, 1990–2024.
Forest area for Australia was 17.37% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1990 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 17.52% in 1990. The lowest was 17.07% in 2010 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.03% per year.
Australia ranks 138 of 214 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 64%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 52.26%, so Australia sits below it. It peaked in 1990 and has fallen 1% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 1%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 31 of 35 economies; Tonga (12.13%) is just below it.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 118th of 178 in 1990 → 137th of 207 in 2000 → 139th of 209 in 2010 → 140th of 214 in 2020 → 137th of 209 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17.37% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 17.35% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 17.34% | +0.0 pp |
| 2021 | 17.34% | +0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 17.33% | +0.0 pp |
| 2019 | 17.31% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 17.29% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 17.27% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 17.25% | -0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 17.25% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 17.21% | +0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 17.18% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 17.14% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 17.11% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 17.07% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 17.1% | -0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 17.12% | -0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 17.14% | -0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 17.16% | -0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 17.19% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 17.21% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 17.23% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 17.26% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 17.28% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 17.3% | -0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 17.32% | -0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 17.34% | -0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 17.37% | -0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 17.39% | -0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 17.41% | -0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 17.43% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 17.45% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 17.47% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 17.5% | -0.0 pp |
| 1990 | 17.52% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Australia’s Forest area in 1991?
17.5% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of land area, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Australia’s Forest area growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was shrinking overall: -0.9% in total.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator AG.LND.FRST.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 17.37%; 2023: 17.35%; 2022: 17.34%; 2021: 17.34%; 2020: 17.33%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
AG.LND.FRST.ZS — Forest Area (% of Land Area). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.