Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Georgia
Since 2001, Georgia has lost about 9,270 hectares of forest (about 13,000 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (44%), after which forest can grow back. About 1,920 hectares (21%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.97 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 9,270 haunder 1% of it, about 13,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,920 hadeforestation, 21% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2004797 ha lost
Map
Where Georgia has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Georgia 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 Georgia, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 417 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 241 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2004, when about 797 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 | 80 ha | 464 ha | 543 ha |
| 2002 | 30 ha | 371 ha | 401 ha |
| 2003 | 28 ha | 259 ha | 287 ha |
| 2004 | 118 ha | 679 ha | 797 ha |
| 2005 | 55 ha | 429 ha | 484 ha |
| 2006 | 46 ha | 427 ha | 473 ha |
| 2007 | 62 ha | 419 ha | 481 ha |
| 2008 | 89 ha | 320 ha | 408 ha |
| 2009 | 65 ha | 257 ha | 322 ha |
| 2010 | 149 ha | 503 ha | 652 ha |
| 2011 | 74 ha | 263 ha | 337 ha |
| 2012 | 87 ha | 351 ha | 438 ha |
| 2013 | 37 ha | 193 ha | 230 ha |
| 2014 | 20 ha | 68 ha | 87 ha |
| 2015 | 15 ha | 27 ha | 41 ha |
| 2016 | 124 ha | 325 ha | 449 ha |
| 2017 | 48 ha | 125 ha | 173 ha |
| 2018 | 52 ha | 151 ha | 202 ha |
| 2019 | 49 ha | 113 ha | 162 ha |
| 2020 | 100 ha | 119 ha | 219 ha |
| 2021 | 83 ha | 321 ha | 404 ha |
| 2022 | 77 ha | 191 ha | 268 ha |
| 2023 | 203 ha | 215 ha | 418 ha |
| 2024 | 166 ha | 289 ha | 455 ha |
| 2025 | 62 ha | 479 ha | 541 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 Georgia?
- 21%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 57%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 22%cause unknown
- Logging44% · 4,040 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes11% · 1,060 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Farms, pasture and plantations11% · 983 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads5.1% · 473 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy5% · 461 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Wildfires2.1% · 199 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Unknown causes22% · 2,050 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
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 Georgia
How much forest has Georgia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Georgia has lost about 9,270 hectares of forest (about 13,000 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (44%), after which forest can grow back. About 1,920 hectares (21%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Georgia getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 417 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 241 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 Georgia?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (44%), storms, floods and other natural causes (11%), farms, pasture and plantations (11%). About 1,920 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 Georgia?
The worst year was 2004, when about 797 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 Georgia, 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.