Bhutan — Forest area
Forest Area (% of Land Area) for Bhutan, 1990–2024.
Forest area for Bhutan was 70.35% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1990 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 71.24% in 2020. The lowest was 53.65% in 1990 (about 1.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.80% per year.
Bhutan ranks 18 of 214 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 8%. The median for South Asia is 34.36%, so Bhutan sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 1% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved down 1%. Within South Asia it ranks 1 of 6 economies; Nepal (43.60%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 18% in 1994.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 87 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 49th of 178 in 1990 → 27th of 207 in 2000 → 19th of 209 in 2010 → 17th of 214 in 2020 → 18th of 209 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 70.35% | -0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 70.57% | -0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 70.8% | -0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 71.02% | -0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 71.24% | +0.0 pp |
| 2019 | 71.23% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 71.22% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 71.2% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 71.19% | -0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 71.23% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 71.18% | +0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 71.13% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 71.08% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 71.03% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 70.97% | +0.3 pp |
| 2009 | 70.71% | +0.3 pp |
| 2008 | 70.45% | +0.3 pp |
| 2007 | 70.19% | +0.3 pp |
| 2006 | 69.93% | +0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 69.67% | +0.3 pp |
| 2004 | 69.41% | +3.2 pp |
| 2003 | 66.23% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 65.98% | +0.2 pp |
| 2001 | 65.73% | +0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 65.48% | +0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 65.23% | +0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 64.98% | +0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 64.73% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 64.48% | +0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 64.23% | +0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 63.98% | +9.7 pp |
| 1993 | 54.29% | +0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 54.08% | +0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 53.86% | +0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 53.65% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Bhutan’s Forest area in 1991?
53.86% (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 Bhutan’s Forest area growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +31.1% in total — about 0.8% a year compounded.
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: 70.35%; 2023: 70.57%; 2022: 70.8%; 2021: 71.02%; 2020: 71.24%. 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.