Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Luxembourg
Since 2001, Luxembourg has lost about 12,100 hectares of forest (about 17,000 football pitches): 12% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 254 hectares (2.1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 102,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 12,100 ha12% of it, about 17,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 254 hadeforestation, 2.1% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20211,170 ha lost
Map
Where Luxembourg has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Luxembourg 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 Luxembourg, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 677 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 553 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2021, when about 1,170 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 | 6 ha | 65 ha | 70 ha |
| 2002 | 15 ha | 80 ha | 94 ha |
| 2003 | 8 ha | 119 ha | 127 ha |
| 2004 | 6 ha | 343 ha | 349 ha |
| 2005 | 5 ha | 81 ha | 86 ha |
| 2006 | 13 ha | 369 ha | 382 ha |
| 2007 | 21 ha | 542 ha | 563 ha |
| 2008 | 28 ha | 1,040 ha | 1,070 ha |
| 2009 | 17 ha | 245 ha | 262 ha |
| 2010 | 10 ha | 902 ha | 912 ha |
| 2011 | 8 ha | 472 ha | 480 ha |
| 2012 | 9 ha | 464 ha | 473 ha |
| 2013 | 11 ha | 342 ha | 353 ha |
| 2014 | 6 ha | 420 ha | 426 ha |
| 2015 | 16 ha | 319 ha | 335 ha |
| 2016 | 6 ha | 542 ha | 547 ha |
| 2017 | 10 ha | 427 ha | 437 ha |
| 2018 | 5 ha | 475 ha | 480 ha |
| 2019 | 17 ha | 524 ha | 541 ha |
| 2020 | 5 ha | 754 ha | 758 ha |
| 2021 | 13 ha | 1,160 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2022 | 5 ha | 330 ha | 335 ha |
| 2023 | 5 ha | 905 ha | 910 ha |
| 2024 | 8 ha | 572 ha | 580 ha |
| 2025 | 1 ha | 388 ha | 389 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 Luxembourg?
- 2.1%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 97%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Logging97% · 11,800 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads1.4% · 170 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, farms, pasture and plantations, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg | 658 ha | 5.4% | 118 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Luxembourg
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 Luxembourg
How much forest has Luxembourg lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Luxembourg has lost about 12,100 hectares of forest (about 17,000 football pitches): 12% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 254 hectares (2.1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Luxembourg getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 677 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 553 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 Luxembourg?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (97%), towns and roads (1.4%), mining and energy (under 1%). About 254 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 Luxembourg?
The worst year was 2021, when about 1,170 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 Luxembourg, 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.