Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Equatorial Guinea
Since 2001, Equatorial Guinea has lost about 158,000 hectares of forest (about 220,000 football pitches): 6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 53,900 hectares (34%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.63 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 158,000 ha6% of it, about 220,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 53,900 hadeforestation, 34% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201418,900 ha lost
Map
Where Equatorial Guinea has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Equatorial Guinea 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 Equatorial Guinea, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 7,500 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 8,640 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2014, when about 18,900 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 | 805 ha | 2,750 ha | 3,560 ha |
| 2002 | 781 ha | 2,120 ha | 2,900 ha |
| 2003 | 391 ha | 1,530 ha | 1,920 ha |
| 2004 | 146 ha | 266 ha | 412 ha |
| 2005 | 517 ha | 1,000 ha | 1,520 ha |
| 2006 | 359 ha | 829 ha | 1,190 ha |
| 2007 | 1,430 ha | 1,540 ha | 2,970 ha |
| 2008 | 2,100 ha | 2,680 ha | 4,780 ha |
| 2009 | 2,540 ha | 3,020 ha | 5,560 ha |
| 2010 | 3,740 ha | 2,590 ha | 6,330 ha |
| 2011 | 3,830 ha | 3,770 ha | 7,600 ha |
| 2012 | 2,640 ha | 2,250 ha | 4,890 ha |
| 2013 | 3,330 ha | 3,800 ha | 7,130 ha |
| 2014 | 6,770 ha | 12,100 ha | 18,900 ha |
| 2015 | 2,510 ha | 4,900 ha | 7,410 ha |
| 2016 | 2,840 ha | 6,610 ha | 9,450 ha |
| 2017 | 3,300 ha | 8,530 ha | 11,800 ha |
| 2018 | 2,430 ha | 5,330 ha | 7,750 ha |
| 2019 | 2,330 ha | 7,080 ha | 9,410 ha |
| 2020 | 1,320 ha | 3,410 ha | 4,730 ha |
| 2021 | 2,070 ha | 6,720 ha | 8,790 ha |
| 2022 | 1,840 ha | 5,880 ha | 7,720 ha |
| 2023 | 2,340 ha | 6,040 ha | 8,380 ha |
| 2024 | 2,270 ha | 5,400 ha | 7,670 ha |
| 2025 | 1,240 ha | 3,710 ha | 4,940 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 Equatorial Guinea?
- 34%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 65%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.2%cause unknown
- Shifting farming53% · 83,300 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations14% · 22,500 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy13% · 20,900 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Logging11% · 17,500 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads6.6% · 10,500 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes1.2% · 1,950 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes, wildfires.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ebebiyin | 7,290 ha | 24% | 2,350 ha |
| Bata | 5,930 ha | 51% | 5,210 ha |
| Malabo | 3,040 ha | 19% | 2,540 ha |
| Ciudad de la Paz | 2,670 ha | 8.5% | 2,380 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Equatorial Guinea
How much forest has Equatorial Guinea lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Equatorial Guinea has lost about 158,000 hectares of forest (about 220,000 football pitches): 6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to shifting farming, so much of it can grow back. About 53,900 hectares (34%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Equatorial Guinea getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 7,500 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 8,640 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 Equatorial Guinea?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are shifting farming (53%), farms, pasture and plantations (14%), mining and energy (13%). About 53,900 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 Equatorial Guinea?
The worst year was 2014, when about 18,900 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 Equatorial Guinea, 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.