Malawi — Forest area
Forest Area (% of Land Area) for Malawi, 1990–2024.
Forest area for Malawi was 22.00% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1990 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 37.14% in 1990. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -1.53% per year.
Malawi ranks 127 of 214 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 59%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 22.46%, so Malawi sits below it. It peaked in 1990 and has fallen 41% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved down 17%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 25 of 48 economies; Gambia, The (21.34%) is just below it. That is 9% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 76th of 178 in 1990 → 102nd of 207 in 2000 → 116th of 209 in 2010 → 124th of 214 in 2020 → 126th of 209 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 22% | -0.4 pp |
| 2023 | 22.44% | -0.4 pp |
| 2022 | 22.89% | -0.4 pp |
| 2021 | 23.33% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 23.78% | -0.4 pp |
| 2019 | 24.22% | -0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 24.67% | -0.4 pp |
| 2017 | 25.11% | -0.4 pp |
| 2016 | 25.56% | -0.4 pp |
| 2015 | 26% | -0.4 pp |
| 2014 | 26.45% | -0.4 pp |
| 2013 | 26.9% | -0.4 pp |
| 2012 | 27.34% | -0.4 pp |
| 2011 | 27.79% | -0.4 pp |
| 2010 | 28.23% | -0.4 pp |
| 2009 | 28.68% | -0.4 pp |
| 2008 | 29.12% | -0.4 pp |
| 2007 | 29.57% | -0.4 pp |
| 2006 | 30.01% | -0.4 pp |
| 2005 | 30.46% | -0.4 pp |
| 2004 | 30.9% | -0.4 pp |
| 2003 | 31.35% | -0.4 pp |
| 2002 | 31.8% | -0.4 pp |
| 2001 | 32.24% | -0.4 pp |
| 2000 | 32.69% | -0.4 pp |
| 1999 | 33.13% | -0.4 pp |
| 1998 | 33.58% | -0.4 pp |
| 1997 | 34.02% | -0.4 pp |
| 1996 | 34.47% | -0.4 pp |
| 1995 | 34.91% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 35.36% | -0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 35.81% | -0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 36.25% | -0.4 pp |
| 1991 | 36.7% | -0.4 pp |
| 1990 | 37.14% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Malawi’s Forest area in 1991?
36.7% (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 Malawi’s Forest area growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was shrinking overall: -40.8% in total — about 1.5% 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: 22%; 2023: 22.44%; 2022: 22.89%; 2021: 23.33%; 2020: 23.78%. 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.