Ranked: Top Countries By Total Forest Loss Since 2001
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Forests are critical natural resources, often caught in the crosshairs of economic development. Thanks to expanding human settlement, agriculture, and industry, the world lost nearly 1 million square kilometers (km²) of forest cover since 2001.
But where has most of this deforestation occurred?
We rank the countries by the total decrease in their forest area between 2001 and 2021, measured in square kilometers along with their percentage decrease for context. All of this data was sourced from the World Bank.
A caveat to this data: countries are ranked by total forest loss, so countries with the largest forests feature predominantly on this list.
Which Country Has Lost the Most Forests (2001-2021)?
Brazil has lost more than half a million square kilometers of forest in the last two decades. Agricultural expansion for beef and soy production alongside mining and infrastructure growth are the primary drivers behind this large scale deforestation.
This has also caused periodic fires in the Amazon rainforest, drawing repeated alarm from around the world. In fact, Brazil has lost as much forest cover as the next four countries combined.
The table below lists the countries included in this graphic, as well as several others further down the ranking.
| Rank | Country | Region | 2001–21 Change (in km2) |
% of Forest Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | South America | -517,464 | -9% |
| 2 | 🇨🇩 DRC | Africa | -181,721 | -13% |
| 3 | 🇦🇴 Angola | Africa | -111,012 | -14% |
| 4 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | Africa | -106,213 | -37% |
| 5 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Asia | -95,903 | -9% |
| 6 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | Africa | -80,220 | -15% |
| 7 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | South America | -68,266 | -30% |
| 8 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | Asia | -62,712 | -18% |
| 9 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | South America | -45,979 | -14% |
| 10 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | Africa | -44,688 | -11% |
| 11 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | South America | -42,791 | -8% |
| 12 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | South America | -36,001 | -6% |
| 13 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Africa | -32,661 | -13% |
| 14 | 🇵🇪 Peru | South America | -30,155 | -4% |
| 15 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | Asia | -28,491 | -26% |
| 16 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | South America | -28,130 | -6% |
| 17 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | North America | -26,732 | -4% |
| 18 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | Africa | -23,924 | -5% |
| 19 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | Africa | -23,660 | -14% |
| 20 | 🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire | Africa | -22,577 | -45% |
What is quickly apparent is how most of the countries on this list are from Africa and South America. A study found a correlation where developing economies tend to have higher deforestation rates than advanced economies. Former colonies have also experienced more forest loss than those that were not colonized.
In Asia, Indonesia’s burgeoning palm oil industry is a key driver to deforestation, though efforts are now being made to reverse its impact. Meanwhile, Cambodia experienced rapid clear-cutting for its growing rubber plantations and timber industry.
Finally, Myanmar has long contended with illegal logging, but the country’s ongoing civil war is styming conversation efforts.
