Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Chile
Since 2001, Chile has lost about 2.43 million hectares of forest (about 24,000 km²): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 96,100 hectares (4%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 17.8 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 2.43 million ha14% of it, about 24,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 96,100 hadeforestation, 4% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2017214,000 ha lost
Map
Where Chile has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Chile 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 Chile, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 66,400 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 111,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 214,000 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 | 3,720 ha | 68,900 ha | 72,600 ha |
| 2002 | 2,500 ha | 75,400 ha | 77,900 ha |
| 2003 | 3,920 ha | 78,700 ha | 82,600 ha |
| 2004 | 2,970 ha | 82,500 ha | 85,500 ha |
| 2005 | 4,950 ha | 102,000 ha | 107,000 ha |
| 2006 | 2,710 ha | 88,900 ha | 91,600 ha |
| 2007 | 6,740 ha | 114,000 ha | 121,000 ha |
| 2008 | 6,520 ha | 116,000 ha | 123,000 ha |
| 2009 | 2,710 ha | 85,700 ha | 88,400 ha |
| 2010 | 3,720 ha | 87,600 ha | 91,300 ha |
| 2011 | 3,630 ha | 95,500 ha | 99,100 ha |
| 2012 | 6,170 ha | 168,000 ha | 174,000 ha |
| 2013 | 5,230 ha | 96,800 ha | 102,000 ha |
| 2014 | 6,250 ha | 113,000 ha | 119,000 ha |
| 2015 | 4,110 ha | 102,000 ha | 106,000 ha |
| 2016 | 4,590 ha | 109,000 ha | 113,000 ha |
| 2017 | 5,380 ha | 209,000 ha | 214,000 ha |
| 2018 | 2,450 ha | 74,300 ha | 76,800 ha |
| 2019 | 2,450 ha | 76,200 ha | 78,600 ha |
| 2020 | 2,370 ha | 68,100 ha | 70,500 ha |
| 2021 | 3,340 ha | 68,000 ha | 71,300 ha |
| 2022 | 3,450 ha | 64,100 ha | 67,600 ha |
| 2023 | 2,460 ha | 105,000 ha | 107,000 ha |
| 2024 | 1,850 ha | 45,700 ha | 47,500 ha |
| 2025 | 1,950 ha | 36,700 ha | 38,600 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 Chile?
- 4%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 95%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Logging82% · 1.98 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires12% · 281,000 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations3.6% · 86,900 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes2.2% · 52,400 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, mining and energy, shifting farming, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biobio | 704,000 ha | 48% | 4,050 ha |
| Araucania | 489,000 ha | 26% | 10,700 ha |
| Maule Region | 423,000 ha | 44% | 11,600 ha |
| Ñuble | 250,000 ha | 44% | 4,030 ha |
| Los Ríos Region | 175,000 ha | 15% | 12,900 ha |
| Los Lagos Region | 157,000 ha | 4.9% | 31,300 ha |
| O'Higgins Region | 115,000 ha | 31% | 8,130 ha |
| Valparaiso | 37,900 ha | 17% | 5,820 ha |
| Santiago Metropolitan | 22,600 ha | 10% | 3,690 ha |
| Region of Magallanes | 14,900 ha | under 1% | 629 ha |
| Coquimbo Region | 818 ha | 5.1% | 275 ha |
| Arica y Parinacota Region | 3 ha | — | under 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coronel | 10,200 ha | 74% | 29 ha |
| Villa Mercedes | 9,340 ha | 70% | 147 ha |
| Concepción | 7,320 ha | 55% | 312 ha |
| Quilpué | 4,150 ha | 50% | 59 ha |
| Valdivia | 3,830 ha | 20% | 217 ha |
| Viña del Mar | 3,530 ha | 52% | 522 ha |
| Temuco | 3,220 ha | 31% | 102 ha |
| Los Ángeles | 3,070 ha | 28% | 514 ha |
| Chillán | 2,040 ha | 28% | 334 ha |
| Puerto Montt | 2,040 ha | 18% | 987 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Chile
How much forest has Chile lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Chile has lost about 2.43 million hectares of forest (about 24,000 km²): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 96,100 hectares (4%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Chile getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 66,400 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 111,000 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 Chile?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (82%), wildfires (12%), farms, pasture and plantations (3.6%). About 96,100 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 Chile?
The worst year was 2017, when about 214,000 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 Chile, 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.