Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in France
Since 2001, France has lost about 1.62 million hectares of forest (about 16,000 km²): 9.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 78,500 hectares (4.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 16.7 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1.62 million ha9.7% of it, about 16,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 78,500 hadeforestation, 4.8% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2010143,000 ha lost
Map
Where France has lost forest
Every square kilometre of France 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 France, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 81,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 71,300 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2010, when about 143,000 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 | 3,950 ha | 30,300 ha | 34,300 ha |
| 2002 | 2,450 ha | 31,300 ha | 33,800 ha |
| 2003 | 2,180 ha | 24,100 ha | 26,300 ha |
| 2004 | 5,670 ha | 70,200 ha | 75,900 ha |
| 2005 | 3,450 ha | 42,800 ha | 46,300 ha |
| 2006 | 4,910 ha | 49,800 ha | 54,800 ha |
| 2007 | 3,690 ha | 45,300 ha | 49,000 ha |
| 2008 | 4,770 ha | 81,800 ha | 86,600 ha |
| 2009 | 3,920 ha | 62,900 ha | 66,800 ha |
| 2010 | 4,120 ha | 139,000 ha | 143,000 ha |
| 2011 | 3,440 ha | 60,300 ha | 63,800 ha |
| 2012 | 3,900 ha | 63,100 ha | 67,000 ha |
| 2013 | 1,820 ha | 28,400 ha | 30,200 ha |
| 2014 | 2,240 ha | 42,000 ha | 44,200 ha |
| 2015 | 1,740 ha | 35,400 ha | 37,200 ha |
| 2016 | 3,020 ha | 57,600 ha | 60,600 ha |
| 2017 | 2,810 ha | 65,900 ha | 68,700 ha |
| 2018 | 2,730 ha | 66,200 ha | 68,900 ha |
| 2019 | 2,500 ha | 78,400 ha | 80,900 ha |
| 2020 | 2,220 ha | 75,200 ha | 77,400 ha |
| 2021 | 2,530 ha | 110,000 ha | 112,000 ha |
| 2022 | 1,500 ha | 57,100 ha | 58,600 ha |
| 2023 | 2,050 ha | 83,800 ha | 85,900 ha |
| 2024 | 2,110 ha | 76,600 ha | 78,700 ha |
| 2025 | 4,740 ha | 65,600 ha | 70,300 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 France?
- 4.8%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 93%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.9%cause unknown
- Logging89% · 1.45 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires3.8% · 61,200 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2.6% · 41,400 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads2% · 32,600 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes1.9% · 30,900 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, 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.
Regions that lost the most
| Region | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre-Val de Loire | 47,500 ha | 11% | 1,430 ha |
| Île-de-France | 20,500 ha | 8.7% | 2,020 ha |
| Pays de la Loire | 11,600 ha | 4.7% | 231 ha |
| Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 7,980 ha | 6.2% | 258 ha |
| Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 7,060 ha | 8.1% | 799 ha |
| Occitanie | 6,870 ha | 6.4% | 348 ha |
| Hauts-de-France | 3,730 ha | 5.3% | 211 ha |
| Grand Est | 2,870 ha | 3.1% | 124 ha |
| Normandy | 2,760 ha | 4% | 85 ha |
| Brittany | 1,990 ha | 3.8% | 123 ha |
| Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 47 ha | 2.9% | 38 ha |
| New Aquitaine | 10 ha | 1.1% | 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aix-en-Provence | 1,130 ha | 18% | 148 ha |
| Saint-Étienne | 957 ha | 8.9% | 31 ha |
| Le Mans | 807 ha | 12% | 121 ha |
| Besançon | 751 ha | 5.2% | 217 ha |
| Rouen | 696 ha | 6.4% | 41 ha |
| Orléans | 512 ha | 6.3% | 135 ha |
| Toulon | 494 ha | 7.2% | 129 ha |
| Nîmes | 460 ha | 6.7% | 269 ha |
| Limoges | 410 ha | 5.7% | 101 ha |
| Marseille | 347 ha | 25% | 69 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in France
How much forest has France lost since 2001?
Since 2001, France has lost about 1.62 million hectares of forest (about 16,000 km²): 9.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 78,500 hectares (4.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in France getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 81,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 71,300 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 France?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (89%), wildfires (3.8%), farms, pasture and plantations (2.6%). About 78,500 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 France?
The worst year was 2010, when about 143,000 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 France, 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.