Countries that have lost the most forest area between 2001–21, measured in square kilometers. Their percentage decrease has also been listed for context.
Brazil has lost more than half a million square kilometers of forest area in the last two decades. This is bigger than the size of Spain. Logging and construction have 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.
While Brazil draws much of the focus because of the sheer volume of forested area lost, other countries have lost far more of their overall forest. Paraguay, for example, has lost nearly one-third of its forested area over the past two decades.
Other data highlights include:
Rank | Country | Region | 2001–21 Change (Sq. km) | % of Forest Decrease | 2001 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brazil | South America | -517,464 | -9 | 5,471,378 | 4,953,914 |
2 | DRC | Africa | -181,721 | -13 | 1,432,260 | 1,250,539 |
3 | Angola | Africa | -111,012 | -14 | 771,535 | 660,523 |
4 | Sudan | Africa | -106,213 | -37 | 288,087 | 181,874 |
5 | Indonesia | Asia | -95,903 | -9 | 1,011,179 | 915,277 |
6 | Tanzania | Africa | -80,220 | -15 | 532,980 | 452,760 |
7 | Paraguay | South America | -68,266 | -30 | 226,495 | 158,229 |
8 | Myanmar | Asia | -62,712 | -18 | 345,254 | 282,542 |
9 | Argentina | South America | -45,979 | -14 | 330,616 | 284,637 |
10 | Mozambique | Africa | -44,688 | -11 | 409,664 | 364,976 |
11 | Bolivia | South America | -42,791 | -8 | 548,999 | 506,208 |
12 | Colombia | South America | -36,001 | -6 | 625,427 | 589,426 |
13 | Nigeria | Africa | -32,661 | -13 | 247,297 | 214,637 |
14 | Peru | South America | -30,155 | -4 | 751,730 | 721,575 |
N/A | Other | -446,877 | -4 | 10,704,841 | 10,257,964 | |
15 | Cambodia | Asia | -28,491 | -26 | 107,618 | 79,127 |
16 | Venezuela | South America | -28,130 | -6 | 489,864 | 461,734 |
17 | Mexico | North America | -26,732 | -4 | 682,375 | 655,643 |
18 | Zambia | Africa | -23,924 | -5 | 470,182 | 446,258 |
19 | Botswana | Africa | -23,660 | -14 | 175,024 | 151,364 |
20 | Cote d'Ivoire | Africa | -22,577 | -45 | 49,816 | 27,238 |