Madagascar — Forest area
Forest Area (% of Land Area) for Madagascar, 1990–2024.
Forest area for Madagascar was 17.27% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1990 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 23.52% in 1990. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.90% per year.
Madagascar ranks 140 of 214 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 65%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 22.46%, so Madagascar sits below it. It peaked in 1990 and has fallen 27% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved down 11%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 32 of 48 economies; Cabo Verde (12.52%) is just below it. That is 6% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 107th of 178 in 1990 → 127th of 207 in 2000 → 131st of 209 in 2010 → 137th of 214 in 2020 → 139th of 209 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17.27% | -0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 17.48% | -0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 17.69% | -0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 17.91% | -0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 18.12% | -0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 18.33% | -0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 18.54% | -0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 18.74% | -0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 18.95% | -0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 19.16% | -0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 19.43% | -0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 19.71% | -0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 19.98% | -0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 20.26% | -0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 20.54% | -0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 20.73% | -0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 20.91% | -0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 21.09% | -0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 21.28% | -0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 21.46% | -0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 21.64% | -0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 21.83% | -0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 22.01% | -0.2 pp |
| 2001 | 22.2% | -0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 22.38% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 22.49% | -0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 22.61% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 22.72% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 22.84% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 22.95% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 23.06% | -0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 23.18% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 23.29% | -0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 23.4% | -0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 23.52% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Madagascar’s Forest area in 1991?
23.4% (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 Madagascar’s Forest area growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was shrinking overall: -26.6% in total — about 0.9% 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: 17.27%; 2023: 17.48%; 2022: 17.69%; 2021: 17.91%; 2020: 18.12%. 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.