Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) in New Zealand

New Zealand: Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) was -8,492 kt in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
-8,492 kt
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
201st
of 223 countries
All-time high
-8,492 kt
in 2021
All-time low
-21,699 kt
in 2001
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) in New Zealand, 1990–2025

-20.0k-15.0k-10.0k1990200720251990: -19.8k kt1991: -19.8k kt1992: -19.8k kt1993: -19.8k kt1994: -19.8k kt1995: -19.8k kt1996: -19.8k kt1997: -19.8k kt1998: -19.8k kt1999: -19.8k kt2000: -19.8k kt2001: -21.7k kt2002: -21.7k kt2003: -21.7k kt2004: -21.7k kt2005: -21.7k kt2006: -21.7k kt2007: -21.7k kt2008: -21.7k kt2009: -21.7k kt2010: -21.7k kt2011: -21.3k kt2012: -21.3k kt2013: -21.3k kt2014: -21.3k kt2015: -21.3k kt2016: -15.5k kt2017: -15.5k kt2018: -15.5k kt2019: -15.5k kt2020: -15.5k kt2021: -8.5k kt2022: -8.5k kt2023: -8.5k kt2024: -8.5k kt2025: -8.5k kt

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kt.

Analysis

New Zealand recorded -8,492 kt for carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 60.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) in New Zealand peaked at -8,492 kt in 2021 and was at its lowest, -21,699 kt, in 2001.

New Zealand ranks 201st of 223 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) (Forest land) in New Zealand, 1990 to 2025.
Year kt Change
1990 -19,848 kt
1991 -19,848 kt -0.0%
1992 -19,848 kt -0.0%
1993 -19,848 kt -0.0%
1994 -19,848 kt -0.0%
1995 -19,848 kt -0.0%
1996 -19,848 kt -0.0%
1997 -19,848 kt -0.0%
1998 -19,848 kt -0.0%
1999 -19,848 kt -0.0%
2000 -19,848 kt -0.0%
2001 -21,699 kt +9.3%
2002 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2003 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2004 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2005 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2006 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2007 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2008 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2009 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2010 -21,699 kt -0.0%
2011 -21,252 kt -2.1%
2012 -21,252 kt -0.0%
2013 -21,252 kt -0.0%
2014 -21,252 kt -0.0%
2015 -21,252 kt -0.0%
2016 -15,532 kt -26.9%
2017 -15,532 kt -0.0%
2018 -15,532 kt -0.0%
2019 -15,532 kt -0.0%
2020 -15,532 kt -0.0%
2021 -8,492 kt -45.3%
2022 -8,492 kt -0.0%
2023 -8,492 kt -0.0%
2024 -8,492 kt -0.0%
2025 -8,492 kt -0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s -19,848 kt -19,848 kt -19,848 kt 10
2000s -21,514 kt -21,699 kt -19,848 kt 10
2010s -19,009 kt -21,699 kt -15,532 kt 10
2020s -9,665 kt -15,532 kt -8,492 kt 6

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 198 Congo -7,084 kt compare
  2. 199 Romania -7,883 kt compare
  3. 200 Poland -8,257 kt compare
  4. 202 Ukraine -11,829 kt compare
  5. 203 Rwanda -12,738 kt compare
  6. 204 Australia -14,491 kt compare

See the full ranking of 275 places →

More climate change data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) in New Zealand?
Carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) in New Zealand was -8,492 kt in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was -8,492 kt in 2021.
What is the lowest carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was -21,699 kt in 2001.
How does New Zealand rank for carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2)?
New Zealand ranks 201st out of 223 countries with data for 2025.
Is carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 60.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) (Forest land). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/carbon-stock-change-in-forests-net-emissions-removals-co2-forest-land-fao-tier-1/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) (Forest land)
Unit
kt
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
275 places, 9,600 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions from Forests consists of CO2 emissions and removals corresponding to forest carbon stock changes (aboveground and belowground living biomass). Estimates are computed following the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (IPCC, 2006).