Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Denmark
Since 2001, Denmark has lost about 104,000 hectares of forest (about 150,000 football pitches): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,370 hectares (3.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 637,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 104,000 ha16% of it, about 150,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,370 hadeforestation, 3.2% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20199,000 ha lost
Map
Where Denmark has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Denmark 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 Denmark, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 3,780 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 4,800 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 9,000 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 | 285 ha | 3,880 ha | 4,160 ha |
| 2002 | 52 ha | 1,110 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2003 | 70 ha | 1,460 ha | 1,530 ha |
| 2004 | 97 ha | 2,190 ha | 2,290 ha |
| 2005 | 253 ha | 8,600 ha | 8,850 ha |
| 2006 | 154 ha | 4,940 ha | 5,100 ha |
| 2007 | 128 ha | 4,130 ha | 4,260 ha |
| 2008 | 257 ha | 5,650 ha | 5,900 ha |
| 2009 | 289 ha | 6,180 ha | 6,470 ha |
| 2010 | 165 ha | 4,120 ha | 4,290 ha |
| 2011 | 72 ha | 2,980 ha | 3,060 ha |
| 2012 | 166 ha | 4,180 ha | 4,350 ha |
| 2013 | 67 ha | 1,910 ha | 1,980 ha |
| 2014 | 129 ha | 5,110 ha | 5,240 ha |
| 2015 | 95 ha | 2,420 ha | 2,510 ha |
| 2016 | 143 ha | 4,390 ha | 4,530 ha |
| 2017 | 137 ha | 4,130 ha | 4,260 ha |
| 2018 | 107 ha | 2,970 ha | 3,080 ha |
| 2019 | 192 ha | 8,810 ha | 9,000 ha |
| 2020 | 101 ha | 3,020 ha | 3,120 ha |
| 2021 | 122 ha | 4,500 ha | 4,620 ha |
| 2022 | 65 ha | 3,220 ha | 3,290 ha |
| 2023 | 76 ha | 3,780 ha | 3,850 ha |
| 2024 | 84 ha | 3,450 ha | 3,540 ha |
| 2025 | 64 ha | 3,540 ha | 3,600 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 Denmark?
- 3.2%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 95%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.4%cause unknown
- Logging95% · 98,700 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations1.8% · 1,880 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads1.2% · 1,200 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes1.4% · 1,430 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, wildfires, 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.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aalborg | 274 ha | 12% | 21 ha |
| Esbjerg | 146 ha | 8.4% | 10 ha |
| Odense | 92 ha | 3.2% | 19 ha |
| Copenhagen | 56 ha | 2.7% | 43 ha |
| Århus | 54 ha | 2.6% | 8 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Denmark
How much forest has Denmark lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Denmark has lost about 104,000 hectares of forest (about 150,000 football pitches): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,370 hectares (3.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Denmark getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 3,780 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 4,800 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 Denmark?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (95%), farms, pasture and plantations (1.8%), towns and roads (1.2%). About 3,370 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 Denmark?
The worst year was 2019, when about 9,000 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 Denmark, 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.