Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Latvia
Since 2001, Latvia has lost about 1.01 million hectares of forest (about 10,000 km²): 29% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 6,980 hectares (under 1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 3.51 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1.01 million ha29% of it, about 10,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 6,980 hadeforestation, under 1% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201956,600 ha lost
Map
Where Latvia has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Latvia 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 Latvia, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 53,800 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 48,800 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 56,600 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 | 203 ha | 24,400 ha | 24,600 ha |
| 2002 | 140 ha | 28,600 ha | 28,800 ha |
| 2003 | 85 ha | 20,900 ha | 21,000 ha |
| 2004 | 227 ha | 30,100 ha | 30,300 ha |
| 2005 | 316 ha | 39,800 ha | 40,100 ha |
| 2006 | 445 ha | 38,000 ha | 38,400 ha |
| 2007 | 323 ha | 35,400 ha | 35,700 ha |
| 2008 | 172 ha | 28,700 ha | 28,900 ha |
| 2009 | 307 ha | 34,200 ha | 34,500 ha |
| 2010 | 456 ha | 47,500 ha | 47,900 ha |
| 2011 | 364 ha | 43,900 ha | 44,300 ha |
| 2012 | 246 ha | 33,700 ha | 33,900 ha |
| 2013 | 114 ha | 27,300 ha | 27,500 ha |
| 2014 | 310 ha | 31,500 ha | 31,800 ha |
| 2015 | 284 ha | 30,200 ha | 30,500 ha |
| 2016 | 371 ha | 44,100 ha | 44,400 ha |
| 2017 | 344 ha | 46,200 ha | 46,500 ha |
| 2018 | 371 ha | 46,000 ha | 46,400 ha |
| 2019 | 345 ha | 56,300 ha | 56,600 ha |
| 2020 | 322 ha | 49,500 ha | 49,800 ha |
| 2021 | 215 ha | 47,600 ha | 47,900 ha |
| 2022 | 262 ha | 56,100 ha | 56,400 ha |
| 2023 | 267 ha | 53,600 ha | 53,900 ha |
| 2024 | 201 ha | 55,700 ha | 55,900 ha |
| 2025 | 290 ha | 54,600 ha | 54,900 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 Latvia?
- under 1%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 99%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Logging99% · 1 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
Also, each under 1%: farms, pasture and plantations, towns and roads, wildfires, mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jelgava | 4,990 ha | 32% | 45 ha |
| Daugavpils | 2,090 ha | 18% | 75 ha |
| Liepāja | 1,380 ha | 21% | 38 ha |
| Riga | 1,030 ha | 11% | 280 ha |
| Ventspils | 974 ha | 16% | 63 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Latvia
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 Latvia
How much forest has Latvia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Latvia has lost about 1.01 million hectares of forest (about 10,000 km²): 29% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 6,980 hectares (under 1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Latvia getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 53,800 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 48,800 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 Latvia?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (99%), farms, pasture and plantations (under 1%), towns and roads (under 1%). About 6,980 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 Latvia?
The worst year was 2019, when about 56,600 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 Latvia, 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.