Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Eswatini
Since 2001, Eswatini has lost about 114,000 hectares of forest (about 160,000 football pitches): 25% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 9,960 hectares (8.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 461,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 114,000 ha25% of it, about 160,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 9,960 hadeforestation, 8.7% of the loss
- Worst year
- 200911,000 ha lost
Map
Where Eswatini has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Eswatini 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 Eswatini, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 2,250 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 4,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 11,000 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 | 328 ha | 6,590 ha | 6,910 ha |
| 2002 | 214 ha | 3,660 ha | 3,880 ha |
| 2003 | 247 ha | 5,670 ha | 5,920 ha |
| 2004 | 264 ha | 5,170 ha | 5,430 ha |
| 2005 | 124 ha | 4,700 ha | 4,820 ha |
| 2006 | 840 ha | 8,700 ha | 9,540 ha |
| 2007 | 249 ha | 6,220 ha | 6,470 ha |
| 2008 | 255 ha | 4,420 ha | 4,670 ha |
| 2009 | 259 ha | 10,700 ha | 11,000 ha |
| 2010 | 816 ha | 5,920 ha | 6,740 ha |
| 2011 | 423 ha | 2,330 ha | 2,750 ha |
| 2012 | 213 ha | 3,420 ha | 3,630 ha |
| 2013 | 329 ha | 2,910 ha | 3,240 ha |
| 2014 | 542 ha | 4,130 ha | 4,670 ha |
| 2015 | 422 ha | 2,910 ha | 3,340 ha |
| 2016 | 385 ha | 4,450 ha | 4,830 ha |
| 2017 | 854 ha | 5,530 ha | 6,380 ha |
| 2018 | 199 ha | 1,730 ha | 1,930 ha |
| 2019 | 520 ha | 3,630 ha | 4,150 ha |
| 2020 | 375 ha | 2,330 ha | 2,710 ha |
| 2021 | 740 ha | 2,420 ha | 3,160 ha |
| 2022 | 411 ha | 1,550 ha | 1,960 ha |
| 2023 | 307 ha | 1,740 ha | 2,050 ha |
| 2024 | 421 ha | 2,010 ha | 2,430 ha |
| 2025 | 220 ha | 1,420 ha | 1,640 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 Eswatini?
- 8.7%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 91%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Logging88% · 100,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations7.8% · 8,910 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Wildfires2.8% · 3,180 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, shifting farming, mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, unknown 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.
Satellite timelapses of cities in Eswatini
A satellite photo a year since 2017, with the forest lost marked on it, and the figures for each city.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Eswatini
How much forest has Eswatini lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Eswatini has lost about 114,000 hectares of forest (about 160,000 football pitches): 25% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 9,960 hectares (8.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Eswatini getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 2,250 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 4,000 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 Eswatini?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (88%), farms, pasture and plantations (7.8%), wildfires (2.8%). About 9,960 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 Eswatini?
The worst year was 2009, when about 11,000 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 Eswatini, 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.