TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

: Imperiled Riches—Threatened Rainforests
Mongabay.com is considered a leading source of information on tropical forests by some of the world's top ecologists and conservationists.
 Home
 What's New
 About
 Contribute
 Rainforests
   Mission
   Introduction
   Characteristics
   Biodiversity
   The Canopy
   Forest Floor
   Forest Waters
   Indigenous People
   Deforestation
   Consequences
   Saving Rainforests
   Amazon rainforest
   Borneo rainforest
   Congo rainforest
   Country Profiles
   Statistics
   Works Cited
   For Kids
   For Teachers
   Photos/Images
   Expert Interviews
   Rainforest News
   XML Feeds
 Other Languages
   Chinese
   French
   German
   Japanese
   Portuguese
   Spanish
 Pictures
 Books
 Links
 Newsletter
 Education
 Mongabay Sites
   Kids' site
   Travel Tips
   Tropical Fish
   Madagascar
 Contact



About this site
Providing tropical forest news, statistics, photos, and information, worldrainforests.com is the world's most popular rainforest site. [more]




Weekly Newsletter
Enter your email:
Mongabay will never distribute your email address or send spam.





Share


Global deforestation rates

These figures are derived from data provided in "Forest Resources Assessment 2005" by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

A negative number for "Annual change" and/or "total change" reflects deforestation. A positive number in these columns suggests that forest is regrowing or, more likely, plantations are being established. "n/a" means data is not available, "n.s." means "not significant" (i.e. near 0).

More detailed figures for specific countries can be found at Country by Country Deforestation Rates.

Data can be sorted by clicking on the header title.

Country / RegionForest cover 1990Forest cover 2000Forest cover 2005Change in forest cover 1990-2000Change in forest cover 2000-2005
1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha/yr1000 ha/yr
Angola60,97659,72859,104-125-125
Botswana13,71812,53511,943-118-118
British Indian Ocean Territory33300
Comoros1285n.s.-1
Kenya3,7083,5823,522-13-12
Lesotho578n.s.n.s.
Madagascar13,69213,02312,838-67-37
Malawi3,8963,5673,402-33-33
Mauritius393837n.s.n.s.
Mayotte665n.s.n.s.
Mozambique20,01219,51219,262-50-50
Namibia8,7628,0337,661-73-74
Réunion878784n.s.-1
Seychelles40404000
South Africa9,2039,2039,20300
Swaziland47251854155
Uganda4,9244,0593,627-86-86
Tanzania41,44137,31835,257-412-412
Zambia49,12444,67642,452-445-445
Zimbabwe22,23419,10517,540-313-313
Total Eastern and Southern Africa252,354235,047226,534-1,731-1,702
Algeria1,7902,1442,2773527
Burkina Faso7,1546,9146,794-24-24
Chad13,11012,31711,921-79-79
Djibouti66600
Egypt44596722
Eritrea1,6211,5761,554-4-4
Ethiopia15,11413,70513,000-141-141
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya21721721700
Mali14,07213,07212,572-100-100
Mauritania415317267-10-10
Morocco4,2894,3284,36447
Niger1,9451,3281,266-62-12
Somalia8,2827,5157,131-77-77
Sudan76,38170,49167,546-589-589
Tunisia6439591,0563219
Western Sahara1,0111,0111,01100
Total Northern Africa146,093135,958131,048-1,013-982
Benin3,3222,6752,351-65-65
Burundi289198152-9-9
Cameroon24,54522,34521,245-220-220
Cape Verde5882842n.s.
Central African Republic23,20322,90322,755-30-30
Congo22,72622,55622,471-17-17
Côte d'Ivoire10,22210,32810,4051115
Democratic Republic of the Congo140,531135,207133,610-532-319
Equatorial Guinea1,8601,7081,632-15-15
Gabon21,92721,82621,775-10-10
Gambia44246147122
Ghana7,4486,0945,517-135-115
Guinea7,4086,9046,724-50-36
Guinea-Bissau2,2162,1202,072-10-10
Liberia4,0583,4553,154-60-60
Nigeria17,23413,13711,089-410-410
Rwanda318344480327
Saint Helena22200
Sao Tome and Principe27272700
Senegal9,3488,8988,673-45-45
Sierra Leone3,0442,8512,754-19-19
Togo685486386-20-20
Total Western and Central Africa300,914284,608277,829-1,631-1,356
Total Africa699,361655,613635,412-4,375-4,040
China157,141177,001197,2901,9864,058
North Korea8,2016,8216,187-138-127
Japan24,95024,87624,868-7-2
Mongolia11,49210,66510,252-83-83
South Korea6,3716,3006,265-7-7
Total East Asia208,155225,663244,8621,7513,840
Bangladesh882884871n.s.-2
Bhutan3,0353,1413,1951111
Brunei Darussalam313288278-2-2
Cambodia12,94611,54110,447-140-219
India63,93967,55467,70136229
Indonesia116,56797,85288,495-1,872-1,871
Lao PDR17,31416,53216,142-78-78
Malaysia22,37621,59120,890-78-140
Maldives11100
Myanmar39,21934,55432,222-466-466
Nepal4,8173,9003,636-92-53
Pakistan2,5272,1161,902-41-43
Philippines10,5747,9497,162-262-157
Singapore22200
Sri Lanka2,3502,0821,933-27-30
Thailand15,96514,81414,520-115-59
Timor-Leste966854798-11-11
Viet Nam9,36311,72512,931236241
Total South and Southeast Asia323,156297,380283,127-2,578-2,851
Afghanistan1,3091,015867-29-30
Armenia3363443211-5
Azerbaijan93693693600
Bahrainn.s.n.s.n.s.n.s.n.s.
Cyprus1611731741n.s.
Georgia2,7602,7602,760n.s.n.s.
Iran11,07511,07511,07500
Iraq80481882211
Israel15416417111
Jordan83838300
Kazakhstan3,4223,3653,337-6-6
Kuwait356n.s.n.s.
Kyrgyzstan83685886922
Lebanon12113113611
Oman22200
Palestine, Occupied Territories99900
Qatarn.s.n.s.n.s.00
Saudi Arabia2,7282,7282,72800
Syrian Arab Republic37243246166
Tajikistan408410410n.s.0
Turkey9,68010,05210,1753725
Turkmenistan4,1274,1274,12700
United Arab Emirates2453103126n.s.
Uzbekistan3,0453,2123,2951717
Yemen54954954900
Total Western and Central Asia43,16643,55843,6263914
Total Asia574,477566,601571,615-7881003
Albania789769794-25
Andorra16161600
Austria3,7763,8383,86265
Belarus7,3767,8487,894479
Belgium677667667-10
Bosnia and Herzegovina2,2102,1852,185-20
Bulgaria3,3273,3753,625550
Channel Islands11100
Croatia2,1162,1292,13511
Czech Republic2,6302,6372,64812
Denmark44548650043
Estonia2,1632,2432,28488
Faeroe Islandsn.s.n.s.n.s.00
Finland22,19422,47522,500285
France14,53815,35115,5548141
Germany10,74111,07611,076340
Gibraltar00000
Greece3,2993,6013,7523030
Holy See00000
Hungary1,8011,9071,9761114
Iceland25384612
Ireland4416096691712
Isle of Man33300
Italy8,3839,4479,979106106
Latvia2,7752,8852,9411111
Liechtenstein677n.s.0
Lithuania1,9452,0202,099816
Luxembourg868787n.s.0
Maltan.s.n.s.n.s.00
Monaco00000
Netherlands34536036521
Norway9,1309,3019,3871717
Poland8,8819,0599,1921827
Portugal3,0993,5833,7834840
Republic of Moldova31932632911
Romania6,3716,3666,37001
Russian Federation808,950809,268808,79032-96
San Marinon.s.n.s.n.s.00
Serbia and Montenegro2,5592,6492,69499
Slovakia1,9221,9211,929n.s.2
Slovenia1,1881,2391,26455
Spain13,47916,43617,915296296
Sweden27,36727,47427,5281111
Switzerland1,1551,1991,22144
Macedonia90690690600
Ukraine9,2749,5109,5752413
United Kingdom2,6112,7932,8451810
Total Europe989,320998,0911,001,394877661
Anguilla66600
Antigua and Barbuda99900
Aruban.s.n.s.n.s.00
Bahamas51551551500
Barbados22200
Bermuda11100
British Virgin Islands444n.s.n.s.
Cayman Islands12121200
Cuba2,0582,4352,7133856
Dominica504746n.s.n.s.
Dominican Republic1,3761,3761,37600
Grenada444n.s.0
Guadeloupe848180n.s.n.s.
Haiti116109105-1-1
Jamaica345341339n.s.n.s.
Martinique46464600
Montserrat44400
Netherlands Antilles11100
Puerto Rico404407408n.s.n.s.
Saint Kitts and Nevis55500
Saint Lucia17171700
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines91011n.s.n.s.
Trinidad and Tobago235228226-1n.s.
Turks and Caicos Islands34343400
United States Virgin Islands121010n.s.n.s.
Total Caribbean5,3505,7065,9743654
Belize1,6531,6531,65300
Costa Rica2,5642,3762,391-193
El Salvador375324298-5-5
Guatemala4,7484,2083,938-54-54
Honduras7,3855,4304,648-196-156
Nicaragua6,5385,5395,189-100-70
Panama4,3764,3074,294-7-3
Total Central America27,63923,83722,411-380-285
Canada310,134310,134310,13400
Greenlandn.s.n.s.n.s.00
Mexico69,01665,54064,238-348-260
Saint Pierre and Miquelon33300
United States of America298,648302,294303,089365159
Total North America677,801677,971677,46417-101
Total North and Central America710,790707,514705,849-328-333
American Samoa181818n.s.n.s.
Australia167,904164,645163,678-326-193
Cook Islands151616n.s.0
Fiji9791,0001,00020
French Polynesia10510510500
Guam262626n.s.0
Kiribati22200
Marshall Islands-----
Micronesia, Federated States of63636300
Nauru00000
New Caledonia71771771700
New Zealand7,7208,2268,3095117
Niue171514n.s.n.s.
Northern Mariana Islands353433n.s.n.s.
Palau384040n.s.n.s.
Papua New Guinea31,52330,13229,437-139-139
Pitcairn44400
Samoa13017117140
Solomon Islands2,7682,3712,172-40-40
Tokelau00000
Tonga44400
Tuvalu11100
Vanuatu44044044000
Wallis and Futuna Islands655n.s.n.s.
Total Oceania212,514208,034206,254-448-356
Argentina35,26233,77033,021-149-150
Bolivia62,79560,09158,740-270-270
Brazil520,027493,213477,698-2,681-3,103
Chile15,26315,83416,1215757
Colombia61,43960,96360,728-48-47
Ecuador13,81711,84110,853-198-198
Falkland Islands00000
French Guiana8,0918,0638,063-30
Guyana15,10415,10415,104n.s.0
Paraguay21,15719,36818,475-179-179
Peru70,15669,21368,742-94-94
South Georgia - S. Sandwich Islands00000
Suriname14,77614,77614,77600
Uruguay1,1231,4091,5062919
Venezuela52,02649,15147,713-288-288
Total South America891,036852,796831,540-3,824-4,251
Total World4,077,4983,988,6493,952,063-8,885-7,317


These figures are derived from data provided in "Forest Resources Assessment 2005" by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

A negative number for "Annual change" and/or "total change" reflects deforestation. A positive number in these columns suggests that forest is regrowing or, more likely, plantations are being established. "n/a" means data is not available, "n.s." means "not significant" (i.e. near 0).

More detailed figures for specific countries can be found at Country by Country Deforestation Rates.

Data can be sorted by clicking on the header title.

Deforestation figures and charts
  • Tropical Deforestation Rates [sortable]
  • Primary Forest Deforestation Rates [sortable]
  • Deforestation Charts
  • Latest Deforestation News
  • Country by Country Deforestation Rates
  • Deforestation Pictures

  • what's new | rainforests home | for kids | help | madagascar | search | about | languages | contact



    Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect,
    an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region.
    Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant.

    "Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site. "Jungle" is generally not used.