Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Moldova
Since 2001, Moldova has lost about 16,800 hectares of forest (about 23,000 football pitches): 5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 483 hectares (2.9%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 334,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 16,800 ha5% of it, about 23,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 483 hadeforestation, 2.9% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20252,270 ha lost
Map
Where Moldova has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Moldova 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 Moldova, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 1,490 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 947 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 2,270 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 | 18 ha | 129 ha | 146 ha |
| 2002 | 17 ha | 186 ha | 203 ha |
| 2003 | 6 ha | 90 ha | 97 ha |
| 2004 | 21 ha | 222 ha | 243 ha |
| 2005 | 10 ha | 99 ha | 109 ha |
| 2006 | 9 ha | 161 ha | 170 ha |
| 2007 | 25 ha | 196 ha | 221 ha |
| 2008 | 12 ha | 113 ha | 125 ha |
| 2009 | 16 ha | 154 ha | 169 ha |
| 2010 | 13 ha | 167 ha | 180 ha |
| 2011 | 28 ha | 156 ha | 183 ha |
| 2012 | 49 ha | 1,700 ha | 1,750 ha |
| 2013 | 11 ha | 146 ha | 157 ha |
| 2014 | 12 ha | 330 ha | 342 ha |
| 2015 | 4 ha | 464 ha | 468 ha |
| 2016 | 20 ha | 789 ha | 809 ha |
| 2017 | 37 ha | 998 ha | 1,040 ha |
| 2018 | 14 ha | 803 ha | 817 ha |
| 2019 | 20 ha | 734 ha | 754 ha |
| 2020 | 18 ha | 1,300 ha | 1,320 ha |
| 2021 | 19 ha | 1,020 ha | 1,040 ha |
| 2022 | 35 ha | 1,060 ha | 1,100 ha |
| 2023 | 13 ha | 1,300 ha | 1,320 ha |
| 2024 | 22 ha | 1,730 ha | 1,750 ha |
| 2025 | 37 ha | 2,230 ha | 2,270 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 Moldova?
- 2.9%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 91%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 6.1%cause unknown
- Logging90% · 15,100 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2.4% · 404 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes6.1% · 1,020 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: wildfires, towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, mining and energy.
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.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Moldova
How much forest has Moldova lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Moldova has lost about 16,800 hectares of forest (about 23,000 football pitches): 5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 483 hectares (2.9%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Moldova getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 1,490 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 947 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 Moldova?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (90%), farms, pasture and plantations (2.4%), wildfires (under 1%). About 483 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 Moldova?
The worst year was 2025, when about 2,270 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 Moldova, 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.