Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in China
Since 2001, China has lost about 13.5 million hectares of forest (about 130,000 km²): 8.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 2.24 million hectares (17%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 163 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 13.5 million ha8.3% of it, about 130,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 2.24 million hadeforestation, 17% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2008739,000 ha lost
Map
Where China has lost forest
Every square kilometre of China 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 China, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 619,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 574,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2008, when about 739,000 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 | 33,400 ha | 197,000 ha | 231,000 ha |
| 2002 | 39,500 ha | 210,000 ha | 250,000 ha |
| 2003 | 36,200 ha | 226,000 ha | 262,000 ha |
| 2004 | 61,800 ha | 440,000 ha | 502,000 ha |
| 2005 | 57,200 ha | 327,000 ha | 384,000 ha |
| 2006 | 73,700 ha | 502,000 ha | 576,000 ha |
| 2007 | 97,400 ha | 557,000 ha | 655,000 ha |
| 2008 | 89,500 ha | 650,000 ha | 739,000 ha |
| 2009 | 109,000 ha | 493,000 ha | 602,000 ha |
| 2010 | 111,000 ha | 518,000 ha | 629,000 ha |
| 2011 | 102,000 ha | 498,000 ha | 600,000 ha |
| 2012 | 117,000 ha | 491,000 ha | 608,000 ha |
| 2013 | 65,500 ha | 378,000 ha | 444,000 ha |
| 2014 | 84,100 ha | 451,000 ha | 535,000 ha |
| 2015 | 76,400 ha | 417,000 ha | 493,000 ha |
| 2016 | 127,000 ha | 595,000 ha | 722,000 ha |
| 2017 | 137,000 ha | 511,000 ha | 648,000 ha |
| 2018 | 110,000 ha | 463,000 ha | 573,000 ha |
| 2019 | 96,200 ha | 404,000 ha | 501,000 ha |
| 2020 | 83,700 ha | 341,000 ha | 425,000 ha |
| 2021 | 85,100 ha | 455,000 ha | 540,000 ha |
| 2022 | 93,000 ha | 523,000 ha | 616,000 ha |
| 2023 | 106,000 ha | 500,000 ha | 606,000 ha |
| 2024 | 123,000 ha | 556,000 ha | 679,000 ha |
| 2025 | 129,000 ha | 525,000 ha | 654,000 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 China?
- 17%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 82%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.2%cause unknown
- Logging75% · 10.2 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations9.6% · 1.29 million ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Wildfires5.2% · 699,000 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads4.7% · 637,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy2.3% · 314,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes1.2% · 157,000 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: shifting farming, 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.
Provinces that lost the most
| Province | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guangxi | 3.25 million ha | 25% | 178,000 ha |
| Guangdong | 2 million ha | 23% | 157,000 ha |
| Fujian | 1.46 million ha | 18% | 133,000 ha |
| Jiangxi | 1.22 million ha | 14% | 161,000 ha |
| Yunnan | 1.17 million ha | 6.7% | 505,000 ha |
| Hunan | 853,000 ha | 8.6% | 147,000 ha |
| Heilongjiang | 584,000 ha | 3.3% | 55,300 ha |
| Guizhou | 434,000 ha | 6.1% | 128,000 ha |
| Sichuan | 401,000 ha | 2.6% | 109,000 ha |
| Hainan | 371,000 ha | 21% | 260,000 ha |
| Zhejiang | 354,000 ha | 6% | 123,000 ha |
| Anhui | 272,000 ha | 8.7% | 53,200 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaowu | 9,980 ha | 47% | 629 ha |
| Yunjinghong | 6,260 ha | 36% | 3,760 ha |
| Wuzhou | 6,070 ha | 53% | 1,840 ha |
| Luoyang, Guangdong | 5,580 ha | 46% | 564 ha |
| Sanming | 5,520 ha | 23% | 1,360 ha |
| Nanping | 5,510 ha | 25% | 538 ha |
| Pingxiang, Guangxi | 5,400 ha | 27% | 454 ha |
| Nada | 5,050 ha | 30% | 4,760 ha |
| Jingdezhen | 4,740 ha | 32% | 2,420 ha |
| Yunfu | 4,640 ha | 24% | 534 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in China
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 China
How much forest has China lost since 2001?
Since 2001, China has lost about 13.5 million hectares of forest (about 130,000 km²): 8.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 2.24 million hectares (17%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in China getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 619,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 574,000 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 China?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (75%), farms, pasture and plantations (9.6%), wildfires (5.2%). About 2.24 million 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 China?
The worst year was 2008, when about 739,000 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 China, 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.