Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in the Bahamas
Since 2001, the Bahamas has lost about 35,300 hectares of forest (about 49,000 football pitches): 13% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was storms, floods and other natural causes (47%), after which forest can grow back. About 5,780 hectares (16%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 273,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 35,300 ha13% of it, about 49,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 5,780 hadeforestation, 16% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20257,840 ha lost
Map
Where the Bahamas has lost forest
Every square kilometre of the Bahamas 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 the Bahamas, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 2,590 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 2,130 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 7,840 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 186 ha | 212 ha | 398 ha |
| 2002 | 232 ha | 367 ha | 599 ha |
| 2003 | 132 ha | 109 ha | 241 ha |
| 2004 | 232 ha | 262 ha | 494 ha |
| 2005 | 358 ha | 1,030 ha | 1,390 ha |
| 2006 | 418 ha | 501 ha | 919 ha |
| 2007 | 252 ha | 299 ha | 551 ha |
| 2008 | 335 ha | 1,360 ha | 1,690 ha |
| 2009 | 309 ha | 439 ha | 748 ha |
| 2010 | 163 ha | 161 ha | 324 ha |
| 2011 | 81 ha | 526 ha | 607 ha |
| 2012 | 81 ha | 264 ha | 345 ha |
| 2013 | 127 ha | 1,320 ha | 1,450 ha |
| 2014 | 126 ha | 704 ha | 830 ha |
| 2015 | 80 ha | 994 ha | 1,070 ha |
| 2016 | 255 ha | 2,800 ha | 3,060 ha |
| 2017 | 669 ha | 2,560 ha | 3,230 ha |
| 2018 | 139 ha | 722 ha | 861 ha |
| 2019 | 228 ha | 992 ha | 1,220 ha |
| 2020 | 464 ha | 1,800 ha | 2,260 ha |
| 2021 | 159 ha | 1,350 ha | 1,510 ha |
| 2022 | 137 ha | 412 ha | 549 ha |
| 2023 | 121 ha | 1,040 ha | 1,160 ha |
| 2024 | 167 ha | 1,750 ha | 1,910 ha |
| 2025 | 324 ha | 7,510 ha | 7,840 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 the Bahamas?
- 16%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 78%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 5.8%cause unknown
- Storms, floods and other natural causes47% · 16,600 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Wildfires30% · 10,400 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads7.8% · 2,770 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations6.5% · 2,290 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy2.1% · 723 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes5.8% · 2,040 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: logging, 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.
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
Satellite timelapses of cities in the Bahamas
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 the Bahamas
How much forest has the Bahamas lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the Bahamas has lost about 35,300 hectares of forest (about 49,000 football pitches): 13% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was storms, floods and other natural causes (47%), after which forest can grow back. About 5,780 hectares (16%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in the Bahamas getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 2,590 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 2,130 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 the Bahamas?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are storms, floods and other natural causes (47%), wildfires (30%), towns and roads (7.8%). About 5,780 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 the Bahamas?
The worst year was 2025, when about 7,840 hectares of forest were lost.
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 the Bahamas, 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.