Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Guyana
Since 2001, Guyana has lost about 394,000 hectares of forest (about 3,900 km²): 2.1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (27%), after which forest can grow back. About 184,000 hectares (47%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 19.2 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 394,000 ha2.1% of it, about 3,900 km²
- Cleared for good
- 184,000 hadeforestation, 47% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2024108,000 ha lost
Map
Where Guyana has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Guyana 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 Guyana, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 35,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 19,100 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2024, when about 108,000 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 | 3,600 ha | 6,480 ha | 10,100 ha |
| 2002 | 2,030 ha | 2,870 ha | 4,890 ha |
| 2003 | 3,010 ha | 4,450 ha | 7,460 ha |
| 2004 | 1,850 ha | 2,190 ha | 4,040 ha |
| 2005 | 2,990 ha | 2,790 ha | 5,790 ha |
| 2006 | 3,010 ha | 2,880 ha | 5,890 ha |
| 2007 | 2,910 ha | 2,330 ha | 5,230 ha |
| 2008 | 5,720 ha | 3,670 ha | 9,390 ha |
| 2009 | 4,940 ha | 3,150 ha | 8,090 ha |
| 2010 | 6,000 ha | 4,030 ha | 10,000 ha |
| 2011 | 5,480 ha | 2,830 ha | 8,310 ha |
| 2012 | 7,770 ha | 5,340 ha | 13,100 ha |
| 2013 | 3,870 ha | 3,110 ha | 6,980 ha |
| 2014 | 7,720 ha | 4,150 ha | 11,900 ha |
| 2015 | 7,500 ha | 5,420 ha | 12,900 ha |
| 2016 | 12,000 ha | 14,300 ha | 26,300 ha |
| 2017 | 12,900 ha | 6,270 ha | 19,200 ha |
| 2018 | 7,320 ha | 4,430 ha | 11,700 ha |
| 2019 | 10,700 ha | 11,800 ha | 22,500 ha |
| 2020 | 9,570 ha | 6,220 ha | 15,800 ha |
| 2021 | 6,770 ha | 2,640 ha | 9,410 ha |
| 2022 | 6,530 ha | 3,930 ha | 10,500 ha |
| 2023 | 17,500 ha | 10,400 ha | 27,900 ha |
| 2024 | 23,000 ha | 84,900 ha | 108,000 ha |
| 2025 | 9,590 ha | 9,590 ha | 19,200 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 Guyana?
- 47%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 50%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.9%cause unknown
- Wildfires27% · 105,000 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Mining and energy26% · 101,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Farms, pasture and plantations20% · 80,100 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming11% · 45,000 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes6.5% · 25,600 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Logging5.8% · 22,700 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Unknown causes2.9% · 11,500 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linden | 4,350 ha | 17% | 2,490 ha |
| New Amsterdam | 1,070 ha | 13% | 784 ha |
| Georgetown | 346 ha | 12% | 321 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Guyana
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 Guyana
How much forest has Guyana lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Guyana has lost about 394,000 hectares of forest (about 3,900 km²): 2.1% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (27%), after which forest can grow back. About 184,000 hectares (47%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Guyana getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 35,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 19,100 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 Guyana?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (27%), mining and energy (26%), farms, pasture and plantations (20%). About 184,000 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 Guyana?
The worst year was 2024, when about 108,000 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 Guyana, 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.