Imperiled Riches - Threatened Rainforests Percent primary forest cover, 2005 Statistics from 17 tropical countries for which the United Nations has somewhat reliable figures for primary forest cover. Total deforestation statistics typically fail to distinguish between general deforestation, reforestation through plantations, and the loss of biologically important primary forests (also called old-growth forests). Looking at primary forest loss figures for these countries reveals an alarming increase in deforestation of these endangered ecosystems.




Since the close of the 1990s, rates of primary forest loss have increased in the tropics. Between 2000 and 2005, deforestation rates of primary forest rose 25.6% (from 0.67% per year to 0.84% annually) for these 17 countries in the table below.

Primary forest cover. Sorted by percent primary forest cover. You can sort by other criteria by clicking on column header links.

Region				Total land				Total forest cover														Primary forest cover
				Area				Area, 2005		Area, 2005		Annual change 1990-2005		Total change 1990-2005		Annual Change 1990-2000		Annual Change 2000-2005				Area, 2005		Area, 2005		Annual change 1990-2005		Total change 1990-2005		Annual Change 1990-2000		Annual Change 2000-2005		Rate of Change 1990-2000 vs 2000-2005
Country				(1000 ha)				(1000 ha)		%		ha		%		%		%				(1000 ha)		%		ha		%		%		%		%
French Guiana				9,000				8,063		91.8		-1867		-0.3		-0.03		0.00				7,701		85.6		-13867		-2.6		-0.19		-0.15		-17.37
Papua New Guinea				46,284				29,437		65		-139067		-6.6		-0.44		-0.46				25,211		54.5		-266600		-13.7		-0.94		-0.95		0.50
Brazil				851,488				477,698		57.2		-2821933		-8.1		-0.52		-0.63				415,890		48.8		-2974867		-9.7		-0.59		-0.80		34.99
Brunei				577				278		52.8		-2333		-11.2		-0.80		-0.69				278		48.2		-2333		-11.2		-0.80		-0.69		-13.06
Peru				128,522				68,742		53.7		-94267		-2.0		-0.13		-0.14				61,065		47.5		-123000		-2.9		-0.11		-0.36		214.69
Colombia				113,891				60,728		58.5		-47400		-1.2		-0.08		-0.08				53,062		46.6		-52800		-1.5		-0.09		-0.11		11.03
Panama				7,552				4,294		57.7		-5467		-1.9		-0.16		-0.06				3,023		40.0		-45533		-18.4		-1.26		-1.33		5.84
Bolivia				109,858				58,740		54.2		-270333		-6.5		-0.43		-0.45				29,360		26.7		-135200		-6.5		-0.43		-0.45		4.50
Indonesia				190,457				88,495		48.8		-1871467		-24.1		-1.61		-1.91				48,702		25.6		-1447800		-30.8		-2.06		-2.59		25.88
Congo				34,200				22,471		65.8		-17000		-1.1		-0.07		-0.08				7,464		21.8		-5600		-1.1		-0.07		-0.07		0.75
Guatemala				10,889				3,938		36.3		-54000		-17.1		-1.14		-1.28				1,957		18.0		-26800		-17.0		-1.14		-1.28		12.82
Madagascar				58,704				12,838		22.1		-56933		-6.2		-0.49		-0.28				10,347		17.6		-10400		-1.5		-0.12		-0.07		-43.61
Senegal				19,672				8,673		45		-45000		-7.2		-0.48		-0.51				1,598		8.1		-10733		-9.2		-0.60		-0.67		10.43
Sri Lanka				6,561				1,933		29.9		-27800		-17.7		-1.14		-1.43				167		2.5		-6000		-35.0		-2.33		-3.05		30.46
Cambodia				18,104				10,447		59.2		-166600		-19.3		-1.09		-1.90				322		1.8		-29600		-58.0		-4.05		-5.88		45.22
Nigeria				92,377				11,089		12.2		-409667		-35.7		-2.38		-3.12				326		0.4		-82000		-79.0		-5.27		-11.14		111.41
Viet Nam				33,169				12,931		39.7		237867		38.1		2.52		2.06				85		0.3		-19933		-77.9		-5.13		-10.91		112.64
Total				1,731,305				880,795		43.5		-5793267		-8.3		-0.57		-0.62				666558		38.5		-5253067		-10.6		-0.67		-0.84		25.6

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.

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