Share of land defined as natural habitat in China
China: Share of land defined as natural habitat was 26.36 in 2010. ▼ Falling
Share of land defined as natural habitat in China, 1780–2010
Source: Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2010, share of land defined as natural habitat in China stood at 26.36. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land defined as natural habitat in China peaked at 50.82 in 1780 and was at its lowest, 26.36, in 2010.
China ranks 141st of 168 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 50.82 | 50.82 | 50.82 | 1 |
| 1790s | 50.33 | 50.33 | 50.33 | 1 |
| 1800s | 50.67 | 50.67 | 50.67 | 1 |
| 1810s | 49.4 | 49.4 | 49.4 | 1 |
| 1820s | 49.33 | 49.33 | 49.33 | 1 |
| 1830s | 48.73 | 48.73 | 48.73 | 1 |
| 1840s | 48.65 | 48.65 | 48.65 | 1 |
| 1850s | 48.58 | 48.58 | 48.58 | 1 |
| 1860s | 49.65 | 49.65 | 49.65 | 1 |
| 1870s | 50.29 | 50.29 | 50.29 | 1 |
| 1880s | 49.97 | 49.97 | 49.97 | 1 |
| 1890s | 49.33 | 49.33 | 49.33 | 1 |
| 1900s | 48.41 | 48.41 | 48.41 | 1 |
| 1910s | 47.63 | 47.63 | 47.63 | 1 |
| 1920s | 46.38 | 46.38 | 46.38 | 1 |
| 1930s | 45.82 | 45.82 | 45.82 | 1 |
| 1940s | 45.14 | 45.14 | 45.14 | 1 |
| 1950s | 44.42 | 44.42 | 44.42 | 1 |
| 1960s | 39.41 | 39.41 | 39.41 | 1 |
| 1970s | 37.56 | 37.56 | 37.56 | 1 |
| 1980s | 34.15 | 34.15 | 34.15 | 1 |
| 1990s | 27.79 | 27.79 | 27.79 | 1 |
| 2000s | 26.99 | 26.99 | 26.99 | 1 |
| 2010s | 26.36 | 26.36 | 26.36 | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.66 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.0991 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.15 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.34 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 2.06 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 132.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land defined as natural habitat in China?
- Share of land defined as natural habitat in China was 26.36 in 2010, according to Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 50.82 in 1780.
- What is the lowest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.36 in 2010.
- How does China rank for share of land defined as natural habitat?
- China ranks 141st out of 168 countries with data for 2010.
- Is share of land defined as natural habitat rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land defined as natural habitat. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Natural ecosystems include forest, grassland, savanna, and shrublands, and other classes such as peatlands and marshes. It is total land minus land that is used by humans for agriculture – either croplands or pasture – or for infrastructure and urban environments.