Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Cyprus
Since 2001, Cyprus has lost about 3,730 hectares of forest (about 5,200 football pitches): 4.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 156 hectares (4.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 89,300 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 3,730 ha4.2% of it, about 5,200 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 156 hadeforestation, 4.2% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2007778 ha lost
Map
Where Cyprus has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Cyprus 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 Cyprus, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 213 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 225 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2007, when about 778 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 6 ha | 72 ha | 78 ha |
| 2002 | 4 ha | 26 ha | 31 ha |
| 2003 | 6 ha | 19 ha | 25 ha |
| 2004 | 11 ha | 75 ha | 85 ha |
| 2005 | 8 ha | 21 ha | 29 ha |
| 2006 | 10 ha | 48 ha | 58 ha |
| 2007 | 12 ha | 766 ha | 778 ha |
| 2008 | 8 ha | 86 ha | 95 ha |
| 2009 | 7 ha | 49 ha | 56 ha |
| 2010 | 6 ha | 58 ha | 64 ha |
| 2011 | 5 ha | 113 ha | 118 ha |
| 2012 | 5 ha | 51 ha | 55 ha |
| 2013 | 3 ha | 10 ha | 13 ha |
| 2014 | 4 ha | 29 ha | 33 ha |
| 2015 | 14 ha | 11 ha | 24 ha |
| 2016 | 15 ha | 562 ha | 576 ha |
| 2017 | 7 ha | 431 ha | 438 ha |
| 2018 | 1 ha | 31 ha | 33 ha |
| 2019 | 5 ha | 38 ha | 43 ha |
| 2020 | 5 ha | 28 ha | 33 ha |
| 2021 | 2 ha | 641 ha | 643 ha |
| 2022 | 1 ha | 72 ha | 73 ha |
| 2023 | 5 ha | 49 ha | 54 ha |
| 2024 | 2 ha | 158 ha | 160 ha |
| 2025 | 5 ha | 132 ha | 137 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 Cyprus?
- 4.2%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 91%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 4.5%cause unknown
- Wildfires87% · 3,230 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging4.7% · 176 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2.5% · 92 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes4.5% · 167 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, 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 Cyprus
How much forest has Cyprus lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Cyprus has lost about 3,730 hectares of forest (about 5,200 football pitches): 4.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 156 hectares (4.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Cyprus getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 213 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 225 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 Cyprus?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (87%), logging (4.7%), farms, pasture and plantations (2.5%). About 156 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 Cyprus?
The worst year was 2007, when about 778 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
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 Cyprus, 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.