Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Fiji
Since 2001, Fiji has lost about 52,300 hectares of forest (about 73,000 football pitches): 3.4% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 2,970 hectares (5.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 1.53 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 52,300 ha3.4% of it, about 73,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 2,970 hadeforestation, 5.7% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20167,660 ha lost
Map
Where Fiji has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Fiji 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 Fiji, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 2,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 3,020 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2016, when about 7,660 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 | 83 ha | 993 ha | 1,080 ha |
| 2002 | 41 ha | 654 ha | 695 ha |
| 2003 | 112 ha | 1,450 ha | 1,560 ha |
| 2004 | 152 ha | 1,860 ha | 2,010 ha |
| 2005 | 98 ha | 1,550 ha | 1,650 ha |
| 2006 | 143 ha | 1,700 ha | 1,850 ha |
| 2007 | 89 ha | 2,040 ha | 2,130 ha |
| 2008 | 152 ha | 2,180 ha | 2,330 ha |
| 2009 | 91 ha | 1,660 ha | 1,750 ha |
| 2010 | 123 ha | 2,170 ha | 2,300 ha |
| 2011 | 25 ha | 515 ha | 540 ha |
| 2012 | 104 ha | 1,070 ha | 1,180 ha |
| 2013 | 189 ha | 2,410 ha | 2,600 ha |
| 2014 | 249 ha | 3,200 ha | 3,450 ha |
| 2015 | 151 ha | 1,490 ha | 1,640 ha |
| 2016 | 220 ha | 7,440 ha | 7,660 ha |
| 2017 | 151 ha | 2,820 ha | 2,970 ha |
| 2018 | 96 ha | 1,070 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2019 | 74 ha | 1,350 ha | 1,420 ha |
| 2020 | 146 ha | 1,720 ha | 1,860 ha |
| 2021 | 123 ha | 6,400 ha | 6,530 ha |
| 2022 | 57 ha | 919 ha | 976 ha |
| 2023 | 80 ha | 682 ha | 762 ha |
| 2024 | 129 ha | 891 ha | 1,020 ha |
| 2025 | 89 ha | 1,110 ha | 1,200 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 Fiji?
- 5.7%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 92%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.6%cause unknown
- Logging69% · 36,200 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes21% · 11,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Farms, pasture and plantations4.9% · 2,550 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes2.6% · 1,360 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: shifting farming, towns and roads, wildfires, mining and energy.
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 Fiji
How much forest has Fiji lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Fiji has lost about 52,300 hectares of forest (about 73,000 football pitches): 3.4% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 2,970 hectares (5.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Fiji getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 2,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 3,020 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 Fiji?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (69%), storms, floods and other natural causes (21%), farms, pasture and plantations (4.9%). About 2,970 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 Fiji?
The worst year was 2016, when about 7,660 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 Fiji, 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.