Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in French Guiana
Since 2001, French Guiana has lost about 97,700 hectares of forest (about 140,000 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (68%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 8.2 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 97,700 ha1.2% of it, about 140,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 66,800 hadeforestation, 68% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20129,940 ha lost
Map
Where French Guiana has lost forest
Every square kilometre of French Guiana 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 French Guiana, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 3,980 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 4,500 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 9,940 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 | 1,880 ha | 1,190 ha | 3,070 ha |
| 2002 | 1,520 ha | 982 ha | 2,500 ha |
| 2003 | 1,280 ha | 622 ha | 1,900 ha |
| 2004 | 3,430 ha | 1,400 ha | 4,820 ha |
| 2005 | 2,170 ha | 678 ha | 2,850 ha |
| 2006 | 1,910 ha | 634 ha | 2,540 ha |
| 2007 | 2,650 ha | 694 ha | 3,340 ha |
| 2008 | 3,800 ha | 1,450 ha | 5,250 ha |
| 2009 | 2,030 ha | 876 ha | 2,900 ha |
| 2010 | 2,240 ha | 929 ha | 3,170 ha |
| 2011 | 1,860 ha | 870 ha | 2,730 ha |
| 2012 | 5,060 ha | 4,890 ha | 9,940 ha |
| 2013 | 2,110 ha | 953 ha | 3,060 ha |
| 2014 | 3,000 ha | 1,300 ha | 4,300 ha |
| 2015 | 2,270 ha | 701 ha | 2,970 ha |
| 2016 | 4,590 ha | 1,700 ha | 6,290 ha |
| 2017 | 3,090 ha | 1,150 ha | 4,240 ha |
| 2018 | 2,850 ha | 1,110 ha | 3,960 ha |
| 2019 | 2,530 ha | 1,030 ha | 3,560 ha |
| 2020 | 3,080 ha | 1,350 ha | 4,430 ha |
| 2021 | 1,620 ha | 649 ha | 2,270 ha |
| 2022 | 2,560 ha | 1,430 ha | 3,990 ha |
| 2023 | 3,680 ha | 1,560 ha | 5,240 ha |
| 2024 | 3,000 ha | 1,410 ha | 4,400 ha |
| 2025 | 2,630 ha | 1,380 ha | 4,000 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 French Guiana?
- 68%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 26%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 5.6%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations50% · 49,200 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Mining and energy15% · 14,500 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Shifting farming13% · 12,500 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes6.4% · 6,300 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Logging6.4% · 6,290 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads3.1% · 3,050 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes5.6% · 5,470 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni | 4,320 ha | 17% | 3,950 ha |
| Cayenne | 1,870 ha | 19% | 1,730 ha |
| Kourou | 1,020 ha | 9.5% | 881 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in French Guiana
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 French Guiana
How much forest has French Guiana lost since 2001?
Since 2001, French Guiana has lost about 97,700 hectares of forest (about 140,000 football pitches): 1.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (68%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in French Guiana getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 3,980 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 4,500 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 French Guiana?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (50%), mining and energy (15%), shifting farming (13%). About 66,800 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 French Guiana?
The worst year was 2012, when about 9,940 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 French Guiana, 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.