Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Bulgaria
Since 2001, Bulgaria has lost about 163,000 hectares of forest (about 230,000 football pitches): 3.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 6,190 hectares (3.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 4.15 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 163,000 ha3.9% of it, about 230,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 6,190 hadeforestation, 3.8% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201210,000 ha lost
Map
Where Bulgaria has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Bulgaria 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 Bulgaria, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 6,510 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 6,960 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 10,000 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 | 212 ha | 8,030 ha | 8,240 ha |
| 2002 | 111 ha | 4,570 ha | 4,680 ha |
| 2003 | 175 ha | 5,070 ha | 5,250 ha |
| 2004 | 235 ha | 8,040 ha | 8,280 ha |
| 2005 | 296 ha | 6,340 ha | 6,630 ha |
| 2006 | 215 ha | 5,010 ha | 5,220 ha |
| 2007 | 382 ha | 9,210 ha | 9,590 ha |
| 2008 | 340 ha | 6,140 ha | 6,480 ha |
| 2009 | 197 ha | 5,920 ha | 6,120 ha |
| 2010 | 113 ha | 3,530 ha | 3,640 ha |
| 2011 | 177 ha | 3,240 ha | 3,420 ha |
| 2012 | 247 ha | 9,780 ha | 10,000 ha |
| 2013 | 95 ha | 3,650 ha | 3,750 ha |
| 2014 | 190 ha | 6,660 ha | 6,850 ha |
| 2015 | 190 ha | 7,250 ha | 7,440 ha |
| 2016 | 268 ha | 7,320 ha | 7,590 ha |
| 2017 | 506 ha | 7,370 ha | 7,870 ha |
| 2018 | 371 ha | 9,580 ha | 9,950 ha |
| 2019 | 244 ha | 4,130 ha | 4,370 ha |
| 2020 | 332 ha | 4,680 ha | 5,010 ha |
| 2021 | 244 ha | 6,720 ha | 6,970 ha |
| 2022 | 160 ha | 4,240 ha | 4,400 ha |
| 2023 | 248 ha | 5,680 ha | 5,930 ha |
| 2024 | 234 ha | 5,340 ha | 5,580 ha |
| 2025 | 404 ha | 9,290 ha | 9,690 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 Bulgaria?
- 3.8%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 92%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 3.7%cause unknown
- Logging86% · 140,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires5.8% · 9,530 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads1.6% · 2,550 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations1.4% · 2,260 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes3.7% · 6,090 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural 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.
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Bulgaria
How much forest has Bulgaria lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Bulgaria has lost about 163,000 hectares of forest (about 230,000 football pitches): 3.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 6,190 hectares (3.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Bulgaria getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 6,510 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 6,960 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 Bulgaria?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (86%), wildfires (5.8%), towns and roads (1.6%). About 6,190 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 Bulgaria?
The worst year was 2012, when about 10,000 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 Bulgaria, 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.