Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Jamaica
Since 2001, Jamaica has lost about 76,900 hectares of forest (about 110,000 football pitches): 10% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (70%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 764,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 76,900 ha10% of it, about 110,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 54,200 hadeforestation, 70% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202521,100 ha lost
Map
Where Jamaica has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Jamaica 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 Jamaica, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 5,480 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 2,110 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 21,100 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 | 1,050 ha | 179 ha | 1,230 ha |
| 2002 | 1,390 ha | 221 ha | 1,610 ha |
| 2003 | 897 ha | 123 ha | 1,020 ha |
| 2004 | 3,020 ha | 831 ha | 3,850 ha |
| 2005 | 5,050 ha | 2,520 ha | 7,570 ha |
| 2006 | 2,380 ha | 384 ha | 2,760 ha |
| 2007 | 1,080 ha | 158 ha | 1,240 ha |
| 2008 | 1,600 ha | 368 ha | 1,970 ha |
| 2009 | 3,040 ha | 451 ha | 3,490 ha |
| 2010 | 2,080 ha | 274 ha | 2,350 ha |
| 2011 | 1,930 ha | 402 ha | 2,330 ha |
| 2012 | 2,130 ha | 433 ha | 2,560 ha |
| 2013 | 1,080 ha | 209 ha | 1,290 ha |
| 2014 | 2,130 ha | 656 ha | 2,780 ha |
| 2015 | 2,390 ha | 489 ha | 2,880 ha |
| 2016 | 1,190 ha | 681 ha | 1,870 ha |
| 2017 | 1,790 ha | 384 ha | 2,170 ha |
| 2018 | 1,790 ha | 369 ha | 2,160 ha |
| 2019 | 1,790 ha | 442 ha | 2,240 ha |
| 2020 | 1,540 ha | 589 ha | 2,130 ha |
| 2021 | 1,250 ha | 199 ha | 1,450 ha |
| 2022 | 966 ha | 149 ha | 1,120 ha |
| 2023 | 1,570 ha | 375 ha | 1,950 ha |
| 2024 | 1,420 ha | 355 ha | 1,770 ha |
| 2025 | 9,620 ha | 11,500 ha | 21,100 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 Jamaica?
- 70%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 22%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 7.5%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations53% · 41,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming15% · 11,600 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Towns and roads13% · 10,200 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes5.3% · 4,080 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Mining and energy3.9% · 2,980 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Wildfires1.5% · 1,140 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Unknown causes7.5% · 5,790 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: logging.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montego Bay | 1,890 ha | 15% | 1,530 ha |
| Mandeville | 1,840 ha | 12% | 1,840 ha |
| Ocho Rios | 1,820 ha | 14% | 1,620 ha |
| Spanish Town | 1,320 ha | 9.3% | 1,040 ha |
| May Pen | 1,280 ha | 8% | 724 ha |
| Kingston | 466 ha | 5.6% | 388 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Jamaica
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 Jamaica
How much forest has Jamaica lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Jamaica has lost about 76,900 hectares of forest (about 110,000 football pitches): 10% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (70%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Jamaica getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 5,480 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 2,110 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 Jamaica?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (53%), shifting farming (15%), towns and roads (13%). About 54,200 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 Jamaica?
The worst year was 2025, when about 21,100 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 Jamaica, 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.