Africa and South America Saw the Most Deforestation Since 2001

What we’re showing:

Countries that have lost the most forest area between 2001–21, measured in square kilometers. Their percentage decrease has also been listed for context.

Key Takeaway

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:

• Myanmar has long contended with illegal logging, but the country’s ongoing civil war is stymying conversation efforts.
• Most of the countries on this list are from Africa and South America, reflecting the correlation where low income countries tend to have higher deforestation rates.