Deforestation statistics for Malawi

Malawi: Demographic data

Population (2022)	19,129,952
Annual population growth rate (2022)	2.70%
Population density (people/sq km)	203
Net migration	-16,053
Fertility rate	4.3
Median age	18
Urban population share	18%

Malawi: Land cover and land use change data

Land area (sq km): 94,280

Tree cover (30%)
Tree cover extent in 2000 (ha): 1,521,820
Tree cover extent as % of land area: 16.10%

Tree cover loss from 2001-20 (ha): 192,573
Tree cover extent as % of 2000 tree cover: 12.70%

Tropical primary forest
Primary forest extent in 2001 (ha): 5,236
Primary forest extent as % of land area: 0.10%
Primary forest extent as % of 2000 tree cover: 0.30%

Primary forest loss from 2002-20 (ha): 420
Primary forest loss from 2002-20 as % of 2001 primary forest cover: 8.00%

Primary forest extent in 2020 (ha): 4,816
Primary forest extent in 2020 as % of land area: 0.10%
Primary forest extent in 2020 as % of 2000 tree cover area: 0%

Malawi: Annual forest and tree cover data

Malawi: Tropical primary forest loss by year All figures in hectares

Year: Hectares
2002: 2
2003: 10
2004: 6
2005: 6
2006: 16
2007: 10
2008: 4
2009: 13
2010: 5
2011: 3
2012: 17
2013: 18
2014: 17
2015: 22
2016: 23
2017: 29
2018: 28
2019: 44
2020: 146

Malawi: Tree cover loss by year 30% tree cover threshold; all figures in hectares

Year: Hectares
2001: 2,488
2002: 4,190
2003: 7,113
2004: 5,712
2005: 9,445
2006: 5,563
2007: 7,494
2008: 9,724
2009: 4,030
2010: 3,982
2011: 8,216
2012: 12,173
2013: 10,562
2014: 18,587
2015: 10,785
2016: 13,509
2017: 15,308
2018: 15,487
2019: 12,134
2020: 16,068

Tree cover loss by year at the subnational level (administrative level 1)

Sub-national admin area 1	Tree cover extent (2001) ha	Tree cover loss (2001-05) ha	Tree cover loss (2006-10) ha	Tree cover loss (2011-15) ha	Tree cover loss (2016-20) ha	Tree cover loss (2001-20) ha	Tree cover loss (2001-20) %
Balaka	2,709	43	32	24	20	120	4.4%
Likoma	80	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Lilongwe	44,611	168	690	2,245	4,719	7,822	17.5%
Machinga	32,505	387	240	800	3,032	4,460	13.7%
Mangochi	134,271	2,405	2,247	1,441	2,745	8,837	6.6%
Mchinji	13,267	71	177	148	251	647	4.9%
Mulanje	42,482	1,178	1,615	2,580	2,852	8,226	19.4%
Mwanza	11,523	41	58	85	201	385	3.3%
Mzimba	145,332	5,193	5,295	8,145	9,343	27,976	19.2%
Neno	23,347	293	321	569	1,092	2,275	9.7%
Nkhata Bay	291,557	8,997	9,872	24,304	27,886	71,059	24.4%
Blantyre	7,212	278	247	268	82	874	12.1%
Nkhotakota	125,805	984	693	1,580	2,665	5,922	4.7%
Nsanje	29,697	564	827	760	463	2,615	8.8%
Ntcheu	13,073	405	412	530	548	1,895	14.5%
Ntchisi	21,453	55	63	367	505	990	4.6%
Phalombe	9,873	134	111	377	1,002	1,624	16.4%
Rumphi	181,328	2,648	1,630	2,783	3,016	10,077	5.6%
Salima	7,839	214	84	107	129	533	6.8%
Thyolo	28,782	566	1,186	3,690	2,827	8,270	28.7%
Zomba	15,548	350	753	1,052	1,148	3,303	21.2%
Chikwawa	50,923	739	1,680	1,483	727	4,629	9.1%
Chiradzulu	1,993	57	41	79	154	330	16.6%
Chitipa	85,543	963	925	2,814	3,447	8,149	9.5%
Dedza	31,220	407	497	1,519	769	3,192	10.2%
Dowa	7,553	108	53	25	42	227	3.0%
Karonga	111,136	1,577	952	2,349	2,297	7,175	6.5%
Kasungu	51,160	125	94	198	543	959	1.9%

Tree cover loss by year at the subnational level (administrative level 2)

Sub-national admin area 1	Admin area 2	Tree cover extent (2000) ha	Tree cover loss (2001-05) ha	Tree cover loss (2006-10) ha	Tree cover loss (2011-15) ha	Tree cover loss (2016-20) ha	Tree cover loss (2001-20) ha	Tree cover loss (2001-20) %
Likoma	Lake Malawi	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Mulanje	Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve	2,800	2	16	34	67	119	4.2%
Mulanje	SC Laston Njema	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Mulanje	TA Mabuka	3	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Ntcheu	TA Chakhumbira	22	0	1	1	4	6	27.7%
Ntcheu	TA Masasa	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Ntcheu	TA Njolomole	162	0	0	2	45	48	29.6%
Phalombe	TA Mkhumba	262	1	9	1	15	27	10.2%
Phalombe	TA Nazombe	167	4	3	1	3	11	6.8%
Rumphi	Nyika National Park - Rumphi	54	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Chitipa	Nyika N.P. - Chitipa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Chitipa	TA Mwabulambya	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Chitipa	TA Mwenemisuku	1,661	15	19	38	130	202	12.2%
Chitipa	TA Mwenewenya	104	0	0	1	6	7	7.0%

Primary forest loss by year at the subnational level (administrative level 2)

Sub-national admin area 1	Primary forest extent (2000) ha	Primary forest loss (2001-05) ha	Primary forest loss (2006-10) ha	Primary forest loss (2011-15) ha	Primary forest loss (2016-20) ha	Primary forest loss (2001-20) ha	Primary forest loss (2001-20) %
Likoma	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Mulanje	2,803	2	16	34	67	119	4.2%
Ntcheu	184	1	2	3	49	54	29.3%
Phalombe	429	6	12	2	18	38	8.9%
Rumphi	54	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Chitipa	1,765	16	19	38	136	209	11.9%

Primary forest loss by year at the subnational area (administrative level 2)

Sub-national admin area 1	Admin area 2	Primary forest extent (2001) ha	Primary forest loss (2001-05) ha	Primary forest loss (2006-10) ha	Primary forest loss (2011-15) ha	Primary forest loss (2016-20) ha	Primary forest loss (2001-20) ha	Primary forest loss (2001-20) %
Likoma	Lake Malawi	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Mulanje	Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve	2,800	2	16	34	67	119	4.2%
Mulanje	SC Laston Njema	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Mulanje	TA Mabuka	3	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Ntcheu	TA Chakhumbira	22	0	1	1	4	6	27.7%
Ntcheu	TA Masasa	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Ntcheu	TA Njolomole	162	0	0	2	45	48	29.6%
Phalombe	TA Mkhumba	262	1	9	1	15	27	10.2%
Phalombe	TA Nazombe	167	4	3	1	3	11	6.8%
Rumphi	Nyika National Park - Rumphi	54	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Chitipa	Nyika N.P. - Chitipa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Chitipa	TA Mwabulambya	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%
Chitipa	TA Mwenemisuku	1,661	15	19	38	130	202	12.2%
Chitipa	TA Mwenewenya	104	0	0	1	6	7	7.0%

2019 forest data for Malawi | Archived forest data for Malawi | Forest data for Malawi

Data Source: Tree cover loss: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA via Global Forest Watch. Administrative boundaries: Global Administrative Areas database (GADM), version 3.6.

Citation: Mongabay. "Deforestation statistics for [selected country name]". Accessed on [date] from worldrainforests.com.

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