Tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Korea

South Korea: Tree cover loss by dominant driver was 1,422 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1,422 hectares
Change on year
down 10.4%
World rank
15th
of 186 countries
All-time high
3,592 hectares
in 2008
All-time low
800.52 hectares
in 2003
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Korea, 2001–2024

1.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k2001201220242001: 993.9 hectares2002: 869.9 hectares2003: 800.5 hectares2004: 2.2k hectares2005: 1.9k hectares2006: 2.4k hectares2007: 2.1k hectares2008: 3.6k hectares2009: 3.4k hectares2010: 2.9k hectares2011: 2.3k hectares2012: 3.0k hectares2013: 1.3k hectares2014: 1.8k hectares2015: 2.0k hectares2016: 2.5k hectares2017: 2.2k hectares2018: 2.0k hectares2019: 1.6k hectares2020: 1.5k hectares2021: 1.4k hectares2022: 1.5k hectares2023: 1.6k hectares2024: 1.4k hectares

Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2024, tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Korea stood at 1,422 hectares.

That represents a change of down 10.4% on the previous year and down 21.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Korea peaked at 3,592 hectares in 2008 and was at its lowest, 800.52 hectares, in 2003.

That places South Korea 15th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2,018 hectares 800.52 hectares 3,592 hectares 9
2010s 2,156 hectares 1,308 hectares 2,973 hectares 10
2020s 1,486 hectares 1,385 hectares 1,588 hectares 5

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 12 Japan 2,074 hectares compare
  2. 13 Cote d'Ivoire 1,939 hectares compare
  3. 14 India 1,746 hectares compare
  4. 16 Thailand 1,361 hectares compare
  5. 17 Sweden 1,301 hectares compare
  6. 18 Cameroon 1,270 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Korea?
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in South Korea was 1,422 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 3,592 hectares in 2008.
What is the lowest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 800.52 hectares in 2003.
How does South Korea rank for tree cover loss by dominant driver?
South Korea ranks 15th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss by dominant driver rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tree cover loss by dominant driver. 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

Indicator
Tree cover loss by dominant driver
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 4,195 data points, 2001–2024
Last refreshed

Tree cover loss due to the expansion and intensification of roads, settlements, urban areas, or other built infrastructure.