Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Grenada
Since 2001, Grenada has lost about 1,900 hectares of forest (about 2,700 football pitches): 7.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (82%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 26,600 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,900 ha7.2% of it, about 2,700 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,560 hadeforestation, 82% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2004633 ha lost
Map
Where Grenada has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Grenada 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 Grenada, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 51 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 45 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2004, when about 633 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 | 31 ha | under 1 ha | 32 ha |
| 2002 | 58 ha | 7 ha | 65 ha |
| 2003 | 65 ha | 3 ha | 68 ha |
| 2004 | 423 ha | 210 ha | 633 ha |
| 2005 | 40 ha | 6 ha | 46 ha |
| 2006 | 26 ha | 3 ha | 28 ha |
| 2007 | 58 ha | 3 ha | 62 ha |
| 2008 | 56 ha | 3 ha | 59 ha |
| 2009 | 85 ha | 8 ha | 93 ha |
| 2010 | 139 ha | 14 ha | 153 ha |
| 2011 | 34 ha | 6 ha | 40 ha |
| 2012 | 36 ha | 3 ha | 39 ha |
| 2013 | 22 ha | 2 ha | 25 ha |
| 2014 | 63 ha | 10 ha | 73 ha |
| 2015 | 5 ha | 1 ha | 7 ha |
| 2016 | 14 ha | 45 ha | 58 ha |
| 2017 | 28 ha | under 1 ha | 28 ha |
| 2018 | 103 ha | 1 ha | 104 ha |
| 2019 | 21 ha | under 1 ha | 21 ha |
| 2020 | 14 ha | under 1 ha | 14 ha |
| 2021 | 14 ha | under 1 ha | 15 ha |
| 2022 | 18 ha | under 1 ha | 18 ha |
| 2023 | 20 ha | under 1 ha | 21 ha |
| 2024 | 154 ha | 19 ha | 173 ha |
| 2025 | 30 ha | under 1 ha | 30 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 Grenada?
- 82%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 18%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Farms, pasture and plantations55% · 1,050 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads27% · 508 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes9.5% · 181 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Shifting farming7.9% · 150 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
Also, each under 1%: logging, 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.
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 George's | 634 ha | 5.9% | 455 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Grenada
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 Grenada
How much forest has Grenada lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Grenada has lost about 1,900 hectares of forest (about 2,700 football pitches): 7.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (82%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Grenada getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 51 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 45 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 Grenada?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (55%), towns and roads (27%), storms, floods and other natural causes (9.5%). About 1,560 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 Grenada?
The worst year was 2004, when about 633 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 Grenada, 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.