Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Germany
Since 2001, Germany has lost about 1.49 million hectares of forest (about 15,000 km²): 12% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 43,700 hectares (2.9%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 12.5 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1.49 million ha12% of it, about 15,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 43,700 hadeforestation, 2.9% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2021202,000 ha lost
Map
Where Germany has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Germany 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 Germany, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 111,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 81,200 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2021, when about 202,000 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 | 1,130 ha | 14,100 ha | 15,300 ha |
| 2002 | 1,140 ha | 14,100 ha | 15,200 ha |
| 2003 | 504 ha | 5,980 ha | 6,480 ha |
| 2004 | 2,370 ha | 41,500 ha | 43,900 ha |
| 2005 | 1,970 ha | 37,600 ha | 39,500 ha |
| 2006 | 2,290 ha | 40,300 ha | 42,600 ha |
| 2007 | 2,130 ha | 90,300 ha | 92,400 ha |
| 2008 | 2,770 ha | 58,900 ha | 61,600 ha |
| 2009 | 2,160 ha | 26,400 ha | 28,500 ha |
| 2010 | 2,800 ha | 72,700 ha | 75,500 ha |
| 2011 | 1,900 ha | 32,100 ha | 34,000 ha |
| 2012 | 2,020 ha | 23,800 ha | 25,800 ha |
| 2013 | 1,220 ha | 14,300 ha | 15,500 ha |
| 2014 | 1,590 ha | 19,500 ha | 21,100 ha |
| 2015 | 1,190 ha | 11,700 ha | 12,900 ha |
| 2016 | 1,750 ha | 25,100 ha | 26,800 ha |
| 2017 | 1,870 ha | 31,100 ha | 33,000 ha |
| 2018 | 1,930 ha | 50,000 ha | 52,000 ha |
| 2019 | 2,250 ha | 106,000 ha | 108,000 ha |
| 2020 | 1,980 ha | 184,000 ha | 186,000 ha |
| 2021 | 1,760 ha | 200,000 ha | 202,000 ha |
| 2022 | 1,120 ha | 85,200 ha | 86,300 ha |
| 2023 | 1,500 ha | 121,000 ha | 123,000 ha |
| 2024 | 1,190 ha | 88,200 ha | 89,400 ha |
| 2025 | 1,230 ha | 54,600 ha | 55,900 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 Germany?
- 2.9%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 96%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Logging96% · 1.43 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads1.6% · 24,200 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy1% · 15,600 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
Also, each under 1%: wildfires, farms, pasture and plantations, 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.
States that lost the most
| State | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria | 284,000 ha | 9.9% | 7,860 ha |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 277,000 ha | 24% | 4,080 ha |
| Lower Saxony | 139,000 ha | 11% | 3,840 ha |
| Hesse | 138,000 ha | 14% | 2,100 ha |
| Thuringia | 135,000 ha | 23% | 590 ha |
| Baden-Wurttemberg | 112,000 ha | 7.4% | 3,960 ha |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 106,000 ha | 11% | 2,650 ha |
| Brandenburg | 96,700 ha | 8.1% | 9,570 ha |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 81,300 ha | 16% | 1,170 ha |
| Saxony | 71,200 ha | 12% | 5,600 ha |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 34,900 ha | 6.2% | 951 ha |
| Saarland | 9,240 ha | 7.8% | 769 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siegen | 8,720 ha | 40% | 71 ha |
| Hagen | 3,940 ha | 23% | 59 ha |
| Bergisch Gladbach | 2,720 ha | 16% | 35 ha |
| Wiesbaden | 1,560 ha | 12% | 27 ha |
| Solingen | 1,370 ha | 8.9% | 126 ha |
| Hildesheim | 1,270 ha | 17% | 2 ha |
| Wuppertal | 1,150 ha | 8.1% | 125 ha |
| Koblenz | 1,060 ha | 8.2% | 32 ha |
| Augsburg | 1,050 ha | 14% | 22 ha |
| Kassel | 1,030 ha | 11% | 19 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Germany
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 Germany
How much forest has Germany lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Germany has lost about 1.49 million hectares of forest (about 15,000 km²): 12% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 43,700 hectares (2.9%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Germany getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 111,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 81,200 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 Germany?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (96%), towns and roads (1.6%), mining and energy (1%). About 43,700 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 Germany?
The worst year was 2021, when about 202,000 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 Germany, 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.