Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Albania
Since 2001, Albania has lost about 50,600 hectares of forest (about 71,000 football pitches): 7.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 5,640 hectares (11%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 642,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 50,600 ha7.9% of it, about 71,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 5,640 hadeforestation, 11% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20085,450 ha lost
Map
Where Albania has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Albania as satellites saw it from 2000 to 2025. Yellow and green were forest; red to white marks where it has been lost since 2001, and when.
- Forest cover in 2000
- 0%25%50%75%100%How much of the land was forest: dark purple had little or none, yellow was dense forest.
- Year the forest was lost
- 200120132025Where forest was cut down, burned or cleared since 2001: red for the early years, through orange, to white for the most recent. Solid where a fifth or more of a place's forest went, fainter where 8% or more did.
- Cities
- The capital (the larger dot) and the biggest cities, to help you find your way.
Year by year
Forest lost in Albania, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 2,200 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,360 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2008, when about 5,450 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 426 ha | 3,260 ha | 3,680 ha |
| 2002 | 89 ha | 770 ha | 858 ha |
| 2003 | 80 ha | 526 ha | 606 ha |
| 2004 | 497 ha | 2,710 ha | 3,200 ha |
| 2005 | 125 ha | 553 ha | 678 ha |
| 2006 | 183 ha | 773 ha | 956 ha |
| 2007 | 692 ha | 4,380 ha | 5,070 ha |
| 2008 | 448 ha | 5,000 ha | 5,450 ha |
| 2009 | 208 ha | 1,100 ha | 1,310 ha |
| 2010 | 126 ha | 506 ha | 632 ha |
| 2011 | 141 ha | 1,000 ha | 1,140 ha |
| 2012 | 726 ha | 4,650 ha | 5,380 ha |
| 2013 | 198 ha | 2,390 ha | 2,590 ha |
| 2014 | 177 ha | 872 ha | 1,050 ha |
| 2015 | 76 ha | 204 ha | 279 ha |
| 2016 | 136 ha | 775 ha | 911 ha |
| 2017 | 171 ha | 1,500 ha | 1,670 ha |
| 2018 | 163 ha | 1,890 ha | 2,050 ha |
| 2019 | 145 ha | 914 ha | 1,060 ha |
| 2020 | 114 ha | 976 ha | 1,090 ha |
| 2021 | 104 ha | 1,570 ha | 1,680 ha |
| 2022 | 95 ha | 1,990 ha | 2,090 ha |
| 2023 | 173 ha | 2,330 ha | 2,500 ha |
| 2024 | 89 ha | 803 ha | 892 ha |
| 2025 | 257 ha | 3,560 ha | 3,820 ha |
The satellite method improved in 2011, so compare recent years with each other rather than with the 2000s. Hover over or tap a year for its figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation in Albania?
- 11%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 86%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 3%cause unknown
- Wildfires60% · 30,300 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging25% · 12,500 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations7.3% · 3,690 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads2.3% · 1,170 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy1.5% · 769 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes1.3% · 656 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Unknown causes3% · 1,520 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Is all forest loss deforestation?
No. When forest is cleared for farms, mines or towns, it is gone for good: that is deforestation. When it is logged or burned, it usually grows back. We count both as forest lost, but only the first as deforestation, so a country with a bad fire year isn't shown as clearing its forest for good.
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
Satellite timelapses of cities in Albania
A satellite photo a year since 2017, with the forest lost marked on it, and the figures for each city.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Albania
How much forest has Albania lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Albania has lost about 50,600 hectares of forest (about 71,000 football pitches): 7.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 5,640 hectares (11%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Albania getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 2,200 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,360 hectares a year in 2016–2020. These are five-year averages from 2011 on, the years the satellite maps were all made the same way.
What is causing deforestation in Albania?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (60%), logging (25%), farms, pasture and plantations (7.3%). About 5,640 hectares was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
What was the worst year for forest loss in Albania?
The worst year was 2008, when about 5,450 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
How is forest loss measured?
We use satellite maps from the University of Maryland (Hansen and colleagues) that show, for every 30 × 30 m patch of land on Earth, the year its trees were cut down, burned or died, from 2001 to 2025. We add up those patches in Albania, counting only places that were at least 30% covered by trees in 2000. The cause of each loss comes from a map made by the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind. All figures are estimates.