Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Ireland
Since 2001, Ireland has lost about 172,000 hectares of forest (about 240,000 football pitches): 21% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 7,160 hectares (4.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 829,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 172,000 ha21% of it, about 240,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 7,160 hadeforestation, 4.2% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202512,200 ha lost
Map
Where Ireland has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Ireland 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 Ireland, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 8,340 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 8,040 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 12,200 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 | 2,050 ha | 7,440 ha | 9,480 ha |
| 2002 | 423 ha | 4,840 ha | 5,270 ha |
| 2003 | 94 ha | 2,170 ha | 2,260 ha |
| 2004 | 609 ha | 6,210 ha | 6,820 ha |
| 2005 | 845 ha | 7,210 ha | 8,050 ha |
| 2006 | 584 ha | 4,640 ha | 5,220 ha |
| 2007 | 526 ha | 11,100 ha | 11,600 ha |
| 2008 | 434 ha | 6,420 ha | 6,850 ha |
| 2009 | 474 ha | 6,720 ha | 7,200 ha |
| 2010 | 184 ha | 3,630 ha | 3,810 ha |
| 2011 | 228 ha | 2,860 ha | 3,090 ha |
| 2012 | 218 ha | 5,590 ha | 5,810 ha |
| 2013 | 37 ha | 4,720 ha | 4,750 ha |
| 2014 | 22 ha | 5,660 ha | 5,690 ha |
| 2015 | 23 ha | 4,440 ha | 4,460 ha |
| 2016 | 34 ha | 9,290 ha | 9,330 ha |
| 2017 | 84 ha | 6,000 ha | 6,090 ha |
| 2018 | 32 ha | 8,300 ha | 8,330 ha |
| 2019 | 38 ha | 10,300 ha | 10,300 ha |
| 2020 | 18 ha | 6,160 ha | 6,180 ha |
| 2021 | 42 ha | 8,680 ha | 8,730 ha |
| 2022 | 17 ha | 6,690 ha | 6,710 ha |
| 2023 | 30 ha | 6,790 ha | 6,830 ha |
| 2024 | 32 ha | 7,240 ha | 7,280 ha |
| 2025 | 82 ha | 12,100 ha | 12,200 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 Ireland?
- 4.2%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 93%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 3.1%cause unknown
- Logging92% · 158,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations3.8% · 6,630 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes3.1% · 5,370 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: wildfires, towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, mining and energy.
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 Ireland
How much forest has Ireland lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Ireland has lost about 172,000 hectares of forest (about 240,000 football pitches): 21% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 7,160 hectares (4.2%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Ireland getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 8,340 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 8,040 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 Ireland?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (92%), farms, pasture and plantations (3.8%), wildfires (under 1%). About 7,160 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 Ireland?
The worst year was 2025, when about 12,200 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 Ireland, 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.