Share of land defined as natural habitat in United States
United States: Share of land defined as natural habitat was 48.26 in 2010. ▼ Falling
Share of land defined as natural habitat in United States, 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 United States stood at 48.26.
The figure is up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land defined as natural habitat in United States peaked at 96.89 in 1780 and was at its lowest, 44.55, in 1960.
That places United States 111th out of 168 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 96.89 | 96.89 | 96.89 | 1 |
| 1790s | 96.66 | 96.66 | 96.66 | 1 |
| 1800s | 96.15 | 96.15 | 96.15 | 1 |
| 1810s | 95.58 | 95.58 | 95.58 | 1 |
| 1820s | 94.83 | 94.83 | 94.83 | 1 |
| 1830s | 93.77 | 93.77 | 93.77 | 1 |
| 1840s | 92.21 | 92.21 | 92.21 | 1 |
| 1850s | 89.91 | 89.91 | 89.91 | 1 |
| 1860s | 86.64 | 86.64 | 86.64 | 1 |
| 1870s | 84.16 | 84.16 | 84.16 | 1 |
| 1880s | 76.67 | 76.67 | 76.67 | 1 |
| 1890s | 67.8 | 67.8 | 67.8 | 1 |
| 1900s | 63.59 | 63.59 | 63.59 | 1 |
| 1910s | 57.1 | 57.1 | 57.1 | 1 |
| 1920s | 53.59 | 53.59 | 53.59 | 1 |
| 1930s | 51.58 | 51.58 | 51.58 | 1 |
| 1940s | 51.58 | 51.58 | 51.58 | 1 |
| 1950s | 47.57 | 47.57 | 47.57 | 1 |
| 1960s | 44.55 | 44.55 | 44.55 | 1 |
| 1970s | 46.13 | 46.13 | 46.13 | 1 |
| 1980s | 46.98 | 46.98 | 46.98 | 1 |
| 1990s | 47.43 | 47.43 | 47.43 | 1 |
| 2000s | 48.25 | 48.25 | 48.25 | 1 |
| 2010s | 48.26 | 48.26 | 48.26 | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.51 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.5014 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0594 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.8696 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9189 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143.86 2010 = 100 (2024)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land defined as natural habitat in United States?
- Share of land defined as natural habitat in United States was 48.26 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 96.89 in 1780.
- What is the lowest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.55 in 1960.
- How does United States rank for share of land defined as natural habitat?
- United States ranks 111th out of 168 countries with data for 2010.
- Is share of land defined as natural habitat rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.