Rwanda — Forest area
Forest Area (% of Land Area) for Rwanda, 1990–2024.
Forest area for Rwanda was 26.09% 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 16.59% in 2000 (about 1.6× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 1.15% per year.
Rwanda ranks 116 of 214 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 54%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 22.46%, so Rwanda sits above it. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 36%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 21 of 48 economies; Eswatini (25.27%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 6% in 2021. That is 16% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 61 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 117th of 178 in 1990 → 141st of 207 in 2000 → 140th of 209 in 2010 → 126th of 214 in 2020 → 116th of 209 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26.09% | +0.6 pp |
| 2023 | 25.47% | +0.6 pp |
| 2022 | 24.86% | +0.6 pp |
| 2021 | 24.25% | +1.5 pp |
| 2020 | 22.77% | +0.6 pp |
| 2019 | 22.18% | +0.6 pp |
| 2018 | 21.59% | +0.6 pp |
| 2017 | 21% | +0.6 pp |
| 2016 | 20.41% | +0.6 pp |
| 2015 | 19.82% | +0.6 pp |
| 2014 | 19.23% | +0.6 pp |
| 2013 | 18.64% | +0.6 pp |
| 2012 | 18.05% | +0.6 pp |
| 2011 | 17.46% | +0.6 pp |
| 2010 | 16.87% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 16.84% | +0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 16.82% | +0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 16.79% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 16.76% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 16.73% | +0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 16.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 16.67% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 16.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 16.62% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 16.59% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 16.7% | -0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 16.81% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 16.92% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 17.04% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 17.15% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 17.26% | -0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 17.37% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 17.48% | -0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 17.6% | -0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 17.71% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Rwanda’s Forest area in 1991?
17.6% (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 Rwanda’s Forest area growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +47.4% 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: 26.09%; 2023: 25.47%; 2022: 24.86%; 2021: 24.25%; 2020: 22.77%. 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.