Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Bangladesh
Since 2001, Bangladesh has lost about 263,000 hectares of forest (about 2,600 km²): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 49,400 hectares (19%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 1.86 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 263,000 ha14% of it, about 2,600 km²
- Cleared for good
- 49,400 hadeforestation, 19% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201727,500 ha lost
Map
Where Bangladesh has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Bangladesh 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 Bangladesh, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 14,700 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 21,700 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 27,500 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 | 1,550 ha | 2,830 ha | 4,380 ha |
| 2002 | 1,480 ha | 2,470 ha | 3,950 ha |
| 2003 | 789 ha | 1,350 ha | 2,140 ha |
| 2004 | 1,800 ha | 2,170 ha | 3,970 ha |
| 2005 | 1,130 ha | 2,030 ha | 3,160 ha |
| 2006 | 3,140 ha | 3,540 ha | 6,680 ha |
| 2007 | 1,830 ha | 2,010 ha | 3,830 ha |
| 2008 | 2,180 ha | 2,290 ha | 4,470 ha |
| 2009 | 2,540 ha | 2,960 ha | 5,510 ha |
| 2010 | 2,200 ha | 2,380 ha | 4,580 ha |
| 2011 | 1,740 ha | 2,230 ha | 3,970 ha |
| 2012 | 1,530 ha | 3,590 ha | 5,110 ha |
| 2013 | 853 ha | 5,010 ha | 5,870 ha |
| 2014 | 1,270 ha | 10,300 ha | 11,500 ha |
| 2015 | 1,180 ha | 10,600 ha | 11,800 ha |
| 2016 | 1,840 ha | 18,600 ha | 20,500 ha |
| 2017 | 3,150 ha | 24,400 ha | 27,500 ha |
| 2018 | 2,310 ha | 16,600 ha | 18,900 ha |
| 2019 | 1,850 ha | 19,500 ha | 21,400 ha |
| 2020 | 2,370 ha | 18,000 ha | 20,300 ha |
| 2021 | 2,690 ha | 13,700 ha | 16,400 ha |
| 2022 | 2,590 ha | 10,700 ha | 13,300 ha |
| 2023 | 2,910 ha | 13,700 ha | 16,600 ha |
| 2024 | 2,510 ha | 12,200 ha | 14,700 ha |
| 2025 | 1,960 ha | 10,500 ha | 12,400 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 Bangladesh?
- 19%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 81%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Shifting farming73% · 193,000 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations18% · 47,400 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Logging6.7% · 17,500 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, wildfires, mining and energy, unknown causes.
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.
Regions that lost the most
| Region | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chittagong | 249,000 ha | 20% | 42,000 ha |
| Sylhet Division | 7,930 ha | 7.6% | 5,150 ha |
| Dhaka Division | 4,530 ha | 5.1% | 1,750 ha |
| Rangpur Division | 595 ha | 6% | 311 ha |
| Rajshahi Division | 331 ha | 4.1% | 89 ha |
| Khulna Division | 236 ha | under 1% | 57 ha |
| Barisal Division | 101 ha | under 1% | 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnaphuli | 947 ha | 5.4% | 129 ha |
| Hāthazāri | 527 ha | 7.5% | 120 ha |
| Cox’s Bāzār | 354 ha | 17% | 55 ha |
| Comilla | 257 ha | 17% | 134 ha |
| Sylhet | 102 ha | 2.5% | 92 ha |
| Tungi | 71 ha | 8.5% | 56 ha |
| Kafrul | 45 ha | 11% | 32 ha |
| Chattogram | 44 ha | 1.6% | 39 ha |
| Savar | 36 ha | 7.3% | 26 ha |
| Gazipur | 30 ha | 2.3% | 6 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Bangladesh
How much forest has Bangladesh lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Bangladesh has lost about 263,000 hectares of forest (about 2,600 km²): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 49,400 hectares (19%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Bangladesh getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 14,700 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 21,700 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 Bangladesh?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are shifting farming (73%), farms, pasture and plantations (18%), logging (6.7%). About 49,400 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 Bangladesh?
The worst year was 2017, when about 27,500 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 Bangladesh, 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.