China — Forest area
Forest Area (% of Land Area) for China, 1990–2024.
Forest area for China was 24.02% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1990 to 2024. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 16.74% in 1990 (about 1.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 1.07% per year.
China ranks 122 of 214 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 57%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 52.26%, so China sits below it. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 8%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 29 of 35 economies; Singapore (21.80%) is just below it. That is 4% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 65 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 120th of 178 in 1990 → 135th of 207 in 2000 → 129th of 209 in 2010 → 125th of 214 in 2020 → 121st of 209 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24.02% | +0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 23.85% | +0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 23.68% | +0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 23.51% | +0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 23.34% | +0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 23.15% | +0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 22.96% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 22.77% | +0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 22.59% | +0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 22.4% | +0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 22.19% | +0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 21.99% | +0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 21.78% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 21.57% | +0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 21.37% | +0.3 pp |
| 2009 | 21.12% | +0.3 pp |
| 2008 | 20.87% | +0.3 pp |
| 2007 | 20.61% | +0.3 pp |
| 2006 | 20.36% | +0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 20.11% | +0.3 pp |
| 2004 | 19.86% | +0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 19.61% | +0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 19.36% | +0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 19.1% | +0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 18.85% | +0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 18.64% | +0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 18.43% | +0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 18.22% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 18.01% | +0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 17.8% | +0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 17.58% | +0.2 pp |
| 1993 | 17.37% | +0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 17.16% | +0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 16.95% | +0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 16.74% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was China’s Forest area in 1991?
16.95% (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 China’s Forest area growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +43.5% in total — about 1.1% 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: 24.02%; 2023: 23.85%; 2022: 23.68%; 2021: 23.51%; 2020: 23.34%. 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.