Costa Rica — Forest area
Forest Area (% of Land Area) for Costa Rica, 1990–2024.
Forest area for Costa Rica was 59.06% 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 54.03% in 1990 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.26% per year.
Costa Rica ranks 32 of 214 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 15%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 49.75%, so Costa Rica sits above it. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 3%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 7 of 42 economies; Virgin Islands (U.S.) (58.94%) is just below it.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 48th of 178 in 1990 → 44th of 207 in 2000 → 43rd of 209 in 2010 → 37th of 214 in 2020 → 32nd of 209 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 59.06% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 58.99% | +0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 58.92% | +0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 58.85% | +0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 58.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 58.14% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 58.07% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 58% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 57.93% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 57.86% | +0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 57.57% | +0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 57.29% | +0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 57% | +0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 56.71% | +0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 56.42% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 56.36% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 56.29% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 56.23% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 56.17% | +0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 56.11% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 56.05% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 55.98% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 55.92% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 55.86% | +0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 55.8% | +0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 55.62% | +0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 55.44% | +0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 55.27% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 55.09% | +0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 54.91% | +0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 54.74% | +0.2 pp |
| 1993 | 54.56% | +0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 54.38% | +0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 54.21% | +0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 54.03% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Costa Rica’s Forest area in 1991?
54.21% (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 Costa Rica’s Forest area growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +9.3% in total — about 0.3% 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: 59.06%; 2023: 58.99%; 2022: 58.92%; 2021: 58.85%; 2020: 58.21%. 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.