Forest loss eases but threats remain

Destruction of the world’s tropical forests continued at a rate of 10 football pitches a minute in 2023, despite a dramatic reduction in forest loss in the Brazilian and Colombian Amazon

TOP COUNTRIES FOR PRIMARY FOREST LOSS IN 2023 (million hectares)
 
Reduced forest loss compared to 2022
Increased loss 

Brazil: 1.14
Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.53
Bolivia: 0.49
Others: 0.68 
Colombia: 0.07 
Malaysia: 0.08 
Madagascar: 0.08 
Cameroon: 0.1 
Laos: 0.14
Peru: 0.15 
Indonesia: 0.29

Total
3.7 million hectares

TROPICAL PRIMARY FOREST LOSS 2002-2023 (million hectares)
Fire related loss 
Non-fire related loss 
Three-year moving average

2023: 9% fall from 2022

4 3 2 1 0 

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023

Sources: BBC, Reuters, World Resources Institute Picture: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS