Tanzania had East Africa’s largest forest area as its forest share fell
Tanzania had about 438,690 square kilometres of forest in 2024, the most among eight East African countries in the World Bank series. Its forest share fell from 61.11% in 2000 to 49.63% in 2024.
Sources checked
Rift & Coast Editorial Team
Forest areaForest as a share of national land area in 2024
The Tanzania series shows about 541,350 square kilometres in 2000 and 438,690 in 2024. That is a decrease of 102,660 square kilometres, or about 19% of its reported forest area in 2000. The forest share fell 11.48 percentage points over the same period. Source 1Source 3
Rwanda’s reported area grew
Rwanda’s forest area increased from 4,092.3 square kilometres in 2000 to 6,200.7 in 2024. Its forest share rose from 16.59% to 26.09%. These are net national estimates and combine any gains and losses across the country. Source 1Source 3
What the forest classification includes
The World Bank draws on FAO figures for land classified as forest, including natural and planted stands. Forest classification accounts for land use. Annual deforestation alerts and changes in the quality of particular forest habitats require separate evidence. Source 2Source 4
Why the map uses 2024
The area series also gives values for 2025. The share series ends in 2024 for every country here. The table keeps the newer area values and leaves their share cells blank to preserve the difference in coverage. Source 3Source 1