Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Greece
Since 2001, Greece has lost about 313,000 hectares of forest (about 3,100 km²): 8.6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 26,300 hectares (8.4%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 3.65 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 313,000 ha8.6% of it, about 3,100 km²
- Cleared for good
- 26,300 hadeforestation, 8.4% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202148,700 ha lost
Map
Where Greece has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Greece 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 Greece, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 25,400 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 6,960 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2021, when about 48,700 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,320 ha | 11,200 ha | 12,600 ha |
| 2002 | 1,070 ha | 3,960 ha | 5,040 ha |
| 2003 | 674 ha | 1,870 ha | 2,540 ha |
| 2004 | 2,250 ha | 4,380 ha | 6,640 ha |
| 2005 | 1,060 ha | 3,010 ha | 4,070 ha |
| 2006 | 1,390 ha | 5,720 ha | 7,120 ha |
| 2007 | 1,860 ha | 43,900 ha | 45,800 ha |
| 2008 | 1,690 ha | 19,300 ha | 21,000 ha |
| 2009 | 1,150 ha | 5,290 ha | 6,440 ha |
| 2010 | 1,380 ha | 6,140 ha | 7,530 ha |
| 2011 | 1,220 ha | 4,910 ha | 6,130 ha |
| 2012 | 905 ha | 12,000 ha | 12,900 ha |
| 2013 | 387 ha | 5,400 ha | 5,790 ha |
| 2014 | 625 ha | 3,140 ha | 3,760 ha |
| 2015 | 541 ha | 3,270 ha | 3,810 ha |
| 2016 | 620 ha | 5,330 ha | 5,950 ha |
| 2017 | 791 ha | 8,070 ha | 8,860 ha |
| 2018 | 853 ha | 6,200 ha | 7,060 ha |
| 2019 | 941 ha | 6,570 ha | 7,510 ha |
| 2020 | 782 ha | 4,660 ha | 5,440 ha |
| 2021 | 832 ha | 47,900 ha | 48,700 ha |
| 2022 | 588 ha | 9,070 ha | 9,660 ha |
| 2023 | 938 ha | 44,900 ha | 45,800 ha |
| 2024 | 932 ha | 11,500 ha | 12,400 ha |
| 2025 | 1,450 ha | 8,750 ha | 10,200 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 Greece?
- 8.4%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 89%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.3%cause unknown
- Wildfires74% · 230,000 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging15% · 47,900 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads4% · 12,400 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations3.6% · 11,400 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes2.3% · 7,250 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.
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 Greece
How much forest has Greece lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Greece has lost about 313,000 hectares of forest (about 3,100 km²): 8.6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 26,300 hectares (8.4%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Greece getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 25,400 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 6,960 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 Greece?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (74%), logging (15%), towns and roads (4%). About 26,300 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 Greece?
The worst year was 2021, when about 48,700 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
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 Greece, 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.