Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Australia
Since 2001, Australia has lost about 9.57 million hectares of forest (about 96,000 km²): 23% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 402,000 hectares (4.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 42 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 9.57 million ha23% of it, about 96,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 402,000 hadeforestation, 4.2% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20202.35 million ha lost
Map
Where Australia has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Australia 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 Australia, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 226,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 985,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2020, when about 2.35 million 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 | 11,500 ha | 207,000 ha | 218,000 ha |
| 2002 | 15,600 ha | 295,000 ha | 311,000 ha |
| 2003 | 24,200 ha | 349,000 ha | 373,000 ha |
| 2004 | 20,500 ha | 104,000 ha | 124,000 ha |
| 2005 | 20,000 ha | 156,000 ha | 176,000 ha |
| 2006 | 21,000 ha | 164,000 ha | 185,000 ha |
| 2007 | 23,900 ha | 347,000 ha | 371,000 ha |
| 2008 | 19,700 ha | 185,000 ha | 205,000 ha |
| 2009 | 19,700 ha | 183,000 ha | 203,000 ha |
| 2010 | 14,800 ha | 276,000 ha | 290,000 ha |
| 2011 | 14,300 ha | 106,000 ha | 120,000 ha |
| 2012 | 16,400 ha | 122,000 ha | 139,000 ha |
| 2013 | 13,100 ha | 244,000 ha | 257,000 ha |
| 2014 | 19,600 ha | 259,000 ha | 279,000 ha |
| 2015 | 13,800 ha | 246,000 ha | 260,000 ha |
| 2016 | 23,800 ha | 405,000 ha | 428,000 ha |
| 2017 | 18,200 ha | 217,000 ha | 236,000 ha |
| 2018 | 13,100 ha | 236,000 ha | 249,000 ha |
| 2019 | 16,900 ha | 1.64 million ha | 1.66 million ha |
| 2020 | 12,300 ha | 2.34 million ha | 2.35 million ha |
| 2021 | 10,100 ha | 249,000 ha | 259,000 ha |
| 2022 | 9,560 ha | 109,000 ha | 118,000 ha |
| 2023 | 8,800 ha | 181,000 ha | 190,000 ha |
| 2024 | 7,300 ha | 172,000 ha | 179,000 ha |
| 2025 | 14,500 ha | 369,000 ha | 383,000 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 Australia?
- 4.2%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 94%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.4%cause unknown
- Wildfires78% · 7.45 million ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging16% · 1.53 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2.8% · 267,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes1.4% · 131,000 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, shifting farming.
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.
States that lost the most
| State | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 3.13 million ha | 25% | 106,000 ha |
| Western Australia | 2.43 million ha | 43% | 86,800 ha |
| Victoria | 1.76 million ha | 28% | 38,700 ha |
| Tasmania | 962,000 ha | 20% | 45,100 ha |
| Queensland | 843,000 ha | 7.9% | 106,000 ha |
| South Australia | 349,000 ha | 42% | 16,800 ha |
| Australian Capital Territory | 73,800 ha | 60% | 1,920 ha |
| Northern Territory | 12,900 ha | 1.4% | 1,140 ha |
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballarat | 2,420 ha | 34% | 570 ha |
| Canberra | 1,290 ha | 39% | 1,000 ha |
| Logan City | 1,270 ha | 15% | 1,250 ha |
| Sunshine Coast | 1,160 ha | 14% | 851 ha |
| Central Coast | 768 ha | 4.5% | 510 ha |
| Hobart | 731 ha | 5.1% | 222 ha |
| Newcastle | 552 ha | 15% | 377 ha |
| Gold Coast | 251 ha | 21% | 247 ha |
| Mandurah | 250 ha | 31% | 215 ha |
| Toowoomba | 246 ha | 3.2% | 214 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Australia
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 Australia
How much forest has Australia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Australia has lost about 9.57 million hectares of forest (about 96,000 km²): 23% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 402,000 hectares (4.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Australia getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 226,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 985,000 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 Australia?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (78%), logging (16%), farms, pasture and plantations (2.8%). About 402,000 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 Australia?
The worst year was 2020, when about 2.35 million 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 Australia, 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.