Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Kosovo
Since 2001, Kosovo has lost about 19,100 hectares of forest (about 27,000 football pitches): 5.1% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 1,080 hectares (5.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 371,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 19,100 ha5.1% of it, about 27,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,080 hadeforestation, 5.7% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20121,720 ha lost
Map
Where Kosovo has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Kosovo 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 Kosovo, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 929 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 763 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 1,720 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 | 72 ha | 1,080 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2002 | 10 ha | 205 ha | 214 ha |
| 2003 | 9 ha | 249 ha | 258 ha |
| 2004 | 37 ha | 532 ha | 569 ha |
| 2005 | 24 ha | 280 ha | 304 ha |
| 2006 | 26 ha | 487 ha | 513 ha |
| 2007 | 27 ha | 830 ha | 857 ha |
| 2008 | 97 ha | 1,030 ha | 1,130 ha |
| 2009 | 44 ha | 661 ha | 705 ha |
| 2010 | 50 ha | 402 ha | 451 ha |
| 2011 | 59 ha | 728 ha | 787 ha |
| 2012 | 95 ha | 1,620 ha | 1,720 ha |
| 2013 | 50 ha | 720 ha | 769 ha |
| 2014 | 45 ha | 708 ha | 753 ha |
| 2015 | 22 ha | 462 ha | 484 ha |
| 2016 | 54 ha | 869 ha | 923 ha |
| 2017 | 46 ha | 585 ha | 630 ha |
| 2018 | 32 ha | 555 ha | 587 ha |
| 2019 | 61 ha | 642 ha | 703 ha |
| 2020 | 40 ha | 931 ha | 971 ha |
| 2021 | 17 ha | 508 ha | 525 ha |
| 2022 | 22 ha | 783 ha | 805 ha |
| 2023 | 80 ha | 1,400 ha | 1,480 ha |
| 2024 | 38 ha | 737 ha | 775 ha |
| 2025 | 30 ha | 1,030 ha | 1,060 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 Kosovo?
- 5.7%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 91%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.9%cause unknown
- Logging75% · 14,400 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires15% · 2,900 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2.3% · 439 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads2.3% · 434 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy1.1% · 212 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes2.9% · 557 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: 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.
Satellite timelapses of cities in Kosovo
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 Kosovo
How much forest has Kosovo lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Kosovo has lost about 19,100 hectares of forest (about 27,000 football pitches): 5.1% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 1,080 hectares (5.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Kosovo getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 929 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 763 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 Kosovo?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (75%), wildfires (15%), farms, pasture and plantations (2.3%). About 1,080 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 Kosovo?
The worst year was 2012, when about 1,720 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 Kosovo, 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.