Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Egypt
Since 2001, Egypt has lost about 1,580 hectares of forest (about 2,200 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (65%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 129,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,580 ha1.2% of it, about 2,200 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,030 hadeforestation, 65% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2012337 ha lost
Map
Where Egypt has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Egypt 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 Egypt, year by year
The worst year was 2012, when about 337 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 | 58 ha | 74 ha | 131 ha |
| 2002 | 18 ha | 26 ha | 44 ha |
| 2003 | 22 ha | 24 ha | 46 ha |
| 2004 | 46 ha | 51 ha | 97 ha |
| 2005 | 22 ha | 23 ha | 44 ha |
| 2006 | 19 ha | 12 ha | 31 ha |
| 2007 | 35 ha | 21 ha | 56 ha |
| 2008 | 30 ha | 16 ha | 45 ha |
| 2009 | 32 ha | 17 ha | 49 ha |
| 2010 | 60 ha | 29 ha | 89 ha |
| 2011 | 50 ha | 23 ha | 74 ha |
| 2012 | 180 ha | 157 ha | 337 ha |
| 2013 | 61 ha | 33 ha | 94 ha |
| 2014 | 89 ha | 20 ha | 109 ha |
| 2015 | 31 ha | 1 ha | 32 ha |
| 2016 | 36 ha | 1 ha | 37 ha |
| 2017 | 56 ha | 2 ha | 59 ha |
| 2018 | 57 ha | 3 ha | 60 ha |
| 2019 | 18 ha | under 1 ha | 19 ha |
| 2020 | 16 ha | under 1 ha | 17 ha |
| 2021 | 13 ha | 5 ha | 18 ha |
| 2022 | 11 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2023 | 32 ha | 2 ha | 34 ha |
| 2024 | 24 ha | 3 ha | 27 ha |
| 2025 | 13 ha | 5 ha | 18 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 Egypt?
- 65%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 2.4%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 32%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations55% · 865 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads10% · 159 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes2.3% · 36 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Unknown causes33% · 512 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, logging.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kafr el-Sheikh | 524 ha | under 1% | 277 ha |
| Beheira | 361 ha | 2.3% | 300 ha |
| Dakahlia | 259 ha | under 1% | 124 ha |
| Damietta | 250 ha | 2.7% | 204 ha |
| Alexandria | 55 ha | 1.9% | 44 ha |
| Sharqia | 40 ha | 3.1% | 31 ha |
| Gharbia | 40 ha | under 1% | 17 ha |
| Giza | 17 ha | 5.9% | 13 ha |
| Qalyubia | 17 ha | 3% | 13 ha |
| Cairo | 4 ha | — | 3 ha |
| Monufia | 3 ha | 1% | 2 ha |
| Qena | 1 ha | under 1% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosetta | 255 ha | 5.9% | 244 ha |
| Damietta | 104 ha | 2.7% | 73 ha |
| Idkū | 94 ha | 2.9% | 59 ha |
| Al Maţarīyah | 79 ha | 1.4% | 14 ha |
| Kafr ash Shaykh | 49 ha | 1.3% | 22 ha |
| Bilqās | 35 ha | under 1% | 14 ha |
| Disūq | 32 ha | under 1% | 10 ha |
| Al Mansurah | 27 ha | under 1% | 16 ha |
| Alexandria | 19 ha | 1.9% | 11 ha |
| Kafr ad Dawwār | 19 ha | 1.7% | 14 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Egypt
How much forest has Egypt lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Egypt has lost about 1,580 hectares of forest (about 2,200 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (65%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
What is causing deforestation in Egypt?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (55%), towns and roads (10%), storms, floods and other natural causes (2.3%). About 1,030 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 Egypt?
The worst year was 2012, when about 337 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 Egypt, 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.