Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Croatia
Since 2001, Croatia has lost about 118,000 hectares of forest (about 170,000 football pitches): 5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 7,080 hectares (6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.35 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 118,000 ha5% of it, about 170,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 7,080 hadeforestation, 6% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202310,200 ha lost
Map
Where Croatia has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Croatia 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 Croatia, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 7,550 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 6,190 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2023, when about 10,200 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 | 135 ha | 3,040 ha | 3,170 ha |
| 2002 | 298 ha | 1,920 ha | 2,220 ha |
| 2003 | 199 ha | 1,490 ha | 1,680 ha |
| 2004 | 430 ha | 5,990 ha | 6,420 ha |
| 2005 | 193 ha | 2,500 ha | 2,700 ha |
| 2006 | 277 ha | 1,890 ha | 2,170 ha |
| 2007 | 320 ha | 2,710 ha | 3,030 ha |
| 2008 | 431 ha | 3,310 ha | 3,740 ha |
| 2009 | 337 ha | 2,520 ha | 2,850 ha |
| 2010 | 265 ha | 3,200 ha | 3,460 ha |
| 2011 | 221 ha | 2,580 ha | 2,800 ha |
| 2012 | 253 ha | 4,630 ha | 4,880 ha |
| 2013 | 184 ha | 2,760 ha | 2,950 ha |
| 2014 | 284 ha | 4,230 ha | 4,510 ha |
| 2015 | 191 ha | 2,450 ha | 2,650 ha |
| 2016 | 284 ha | 4,970 ha | 5,250 ha |
| 2017 | 365 ha | 5,380 ha | 5,740 ha |
| 2018 | 357 ha | 7,810 ha | 8,170 ha |
| 2019 | 274 ha | 5,630 ha | 5,900 ha |
| 2020 | 380 ha | 5,520 ha | 5,900 ha |
| 2021 | 196 ha | 5,000 ha | 5,200 ha |
| 2022 | 234 ha | 7,500 ha | 7,730 ha |
| 2023 | 422 ha | 9,800 ha | 10,200 ha |
| 2024 | 302 ha | 7,200 ha | 7,500 ha |
| 2025 | 247 ha | 6,870 ha | 7,120 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 Croatia?
- 6%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 91%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.6%cause unknown
- Logging85% · 100,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires6.1% · 7,230 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads3.4% · 4,020 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2% · 2,340 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes2.6% · 3,040 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 Croatia
How much forest has Croatia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Croatia has lost about 118,000 hectares of forest (about 170,000 football pitches): 5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 7,080 hectares (6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Croatia getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 7,550 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 6,190 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 Croatia?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (85%), wildfires (6.1%), towns and roads (3.4%). About 7,080 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 Croatia?
The worst year was 2023, when about 10,200 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 Croatia, 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.