Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Montenegro
Since 2001, Montenegro has lost about 22,200 hectares of forest (about 31,000 football pitches): 3.5% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (45%), after which forest can grow back. About 2,960 hectares (13%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 632,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 22,200 ha3.5% of it, about 31,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 2,960 hadeforestation, 13% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20132,400 ha lost
Map
Where Montenegro has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Montenegro 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 Montenegro, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 986 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,120 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2013, when about 2,400 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 137 ha | 684 ha | 821 ha |
| 2002 | 50 ha | 136 ha | 186 ha |
| 2003 | 30 ha | 167 ha | 197 ha |
| 2004 | 121 ha | 810 ha | 931 ha |
| 2005 | 33 ha | 145 ha | 178 ha |
| 2006 | 53 ha | 125 ha | 178 ha |
| 2007 | 180 ha | 991 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2008 | 288 ha | 1,150 ha | 1,440 ha |
| 2009 | 121 ha | 461 ha | 582 ha |
| 2010 | 74 ha | 134 ha | 208 ha |
| 2011 | 124 ha | 364 ha | 488 ha |
| 2012 | 128 ha | 1,130 ha | 1,260 ha |
| 2013 | 126 ha | 2,280 ha | 2,400 ha |
| 2014 | 107 ha | 1,340 ha | 1,440 ha |
| 2015 | 36 ha | 143 ha | 179 ha |
| 2016 | 209 ha | 919 ha | 1,130 ha |
| 2017 | 197 ha | 963 ha | 1,160 ha |
| 2018 | 157 ha | 1,490 ha | 1,650 ha |
| 2019 | 131 ha | 508 ha | 639 ha |
| 2020 | 134 ha | 877 ha | 1,010 ha |
| 2021 | 78 ha | 429 ha | 507 ha |
| 2022 | 99 ha | 1,110 ha | 1,210 ha |
| 2023 | 160 ha | 1,600 ha | 1,760 ha |
| 2024 | 93 ha | 580 ha | 673 ha |
| 2025 | 93 ha | 683 ha | 776 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 Montenegro?
- 13%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 83%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 3.6%cause unknown
- Logging45% · 9,980 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires36% · 7,880 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads6.5% · 1,430 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations4.3% · 963 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes2.6% · 567 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Mining and energy2.5% · 565 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes3.6% · 791 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herceg Novi | 677 ha | 7.4% | 86 ha |
| Budva | 595 ha | 5.4% | 287 ha |
| Nikšić | 253 ha | 2.1% | 39 ha |
| Podgorica | 192 ha | 6.6% | 66 ha |
| Pljevlja | 118 ha | under 1% | 11 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Montenegro
How much forest has Montenegro lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Montenegro has lost about 22,200 hectares of forest (about 31,000 football pitches): 3.5% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (45%), after which forest can grow back. About 2,960 hectares (13%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Montenegro getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 986 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,120 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 Montenegro?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (45%), wildfires (36%), towns and roads (6.5%). About 2,960 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 Montenegro?
The worst year was 2013, when about 2,400 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
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 Montenegro, 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.