Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Mali
Since 2001, Mali has lost about 5,580 hectares of forest (about 7,800 football pitches): 20% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (98%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 27,800 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5,580 ha20% of it, about 7,800 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 5,490 hadeforestation, 98% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2013434 ha lost
Map
Where Mali has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Mali 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 Mali, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 289 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 302 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2013, when about 434 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 | 334 ha | 14 ha | 348 ha |
| 2002 | 162 ha | 15 ha | 177 ha |
| 2003 | 33 ha | 3 ha | 35 ha |
| 2004 | 153 ha | 7 ha | 160 ha |
| 2005 | 82 ha | 2 ha | 84 ha |
| 2006 | 111 ha | 2 ha | 113 ha |
| 2007 | 130 ha | 3 ha | 133 ha |
| 2008 | 113 ha | 3 ha | 116 ha |
| 2009 | 167 ha | 2 ha | 169 ha |
| 2010 | 56 ha | 1 ha | 57 ha |
| 2011 | 175 ha | 3 ha | 178 ha |
| 2012 | 83 ha | under 1 ha | 84 ha |
| 2013 | 433 ha | 1 ha | 434 ha |
| 2014 | 301 ha | under 1 ha | 301 ha |
| 2015 | 234 ha | under 1 ha | 234 ha |
| 2016 | 267 ha | under 1 ha | 267 ha |
| 2017 | 404 ha | under 1 ha | 404 ha |
| 2018 | 388 ha | under 1 ha | 388 ha |
| 2019 | 261 ha | under 1 ha | 261 ha |
| 2020 | 192 ha | under 1 ha | 192 ha |
| 2021 | 177 ha | under 1 ha | 177 ha |
| 2022 | 218 ha | under 1 ha | 218 ha |
| 2023 | 388 ha | under 1 ha | 388 ha |
| 2024 | 301 ha | under 1 ha | 301 ha |
| 2025 | 324 ha | 38 ha | 362 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 Mali?
- 98%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 1.7%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations98% · 5,450 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes1.7% · 95 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, shifting farming, 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.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Mali
How much forest has Mali lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Mali has lost about 5,580 hectares of forest (about 7,800 football pitches): 20% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (98%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Mali getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 289 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 302 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 Mali?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (98%), mining and energy (under 1%), shifting farming (under 1%). About 5,490 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 Mali?
The worst year was 2013, when about 434 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 Mali, 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.