Tree cover loss in South Korea

South Korea: Tree cover loss was 15,595 hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
15,595 hectares
Change on year
down 27.8%
World rank
75th
of 197 countries
All-time high
25,595 hectares
in 2022
All-time low
3,570 hectares
in 2003
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss in South Korea, 2001–2024

5.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k2001201220242001: 5.4k hectares2002: 4.6k hectares2003: 3.6k hectares2004: 11.2k hectares2005: 8.8k hectares2006: 10.0k hectares2007: 8.0k hectares2008: 13.8k hectares2009: 16.2k hectares2010: 14.3k hectares2011: 11.6k hectares2012: 15.7k hectares2013: 9.3k hectares2014: 13.3k hectares2015: 17.2k hectares2016: 22.4k hectares2017: 20.6k hectares2018: 21.8k hectares2019: 20.7k hectares2020: 20.1k hectares2021: 17.3k hectares2022: 25.6k hectares2023: 21.6k hectares2024: 15.6k hectares

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

Analysis

In 2024, tree cover loss in South Korea stood at 15,595 hectares.

The figure is down 27.8% on the previous year and up 17.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss in South Korea peaked at 25,595 hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3,570 hectares, in 2003.

South Korea ranks 75th of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 9,066 hectares 3,570 hectares 16,229 hectares 9
2010s 16,694 hectares 9,340 hectares 22,404 hectares 10
2020s 20,029 hectares 15,595 hectares 25,595 hectares 5

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 72 Czechia 19,556 hectares compare
  2. 73 Malawi 17,078 hectares compare
  3. 74 Bangladesh 15,911 hectares compare
  4. 76 Kenya 14,057 hectares compare
  5. 77 Chad 13,084 hectares compare
  6. 78 Dominican Republic 12,992 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss in South Korea?
Tree cover loss in South Korea was 15,595 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 25,595 hectares in 2022.
What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 3,570 hectares in 2003.
How does South Korea rank for tree cover loss?
South Korea ranks 75th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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. 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
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
197 places, 4,728 data points, 2001–2024
Last refreshed

Tree cover loss driven by all causes.