Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in New Zealand
Since 2001, New Zealand has lost about 1.51 million hectares of forest (about 15,000 km²): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 152,000 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 10.9 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1.51 million ha14% of it, about 15,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 152,000 hadeforestation, 10% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201678,800 ha lost
Map
Where New Zealand has lost forest
Every square kilometre of New Zealand 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 New Zealand, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 49,900 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 72,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2016, when about 78,800 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 | 5,050 ha | 44,500 ha | 49,500 ha |
| 2002 | 7,250 ha | 54,600 ha | 61,900 ha |
| 2003 | 5,160 ha | 38,000 ha | 43,200 ha |
| 2004 | 8,210 ha | 50,600 ha | 58,800 ha |
| 2005 | 8,550 ha | 42,200 ha | 50,800 ha |
| 2006 | 10,500 ha | 49,200 ha | 59,600 ha |
| 2007 | 14,600 ha | 45,500 ha | 60,100 ha |
| 2008 | 10,000 ha | 50,300 ha | 60,300 ha |
| 2009 | 7,270 ha | 51,400 ha | 58,600 ha |
| 2010 | 6,140 ha | 49,000 ha | 55,200 ha |
| 2011 | 6,620 ha | 51,900 ha | 58,500 ha |
| 2012 | 7,490 ha | 60,800 ha | 68,300 ha |
| 2013 | 9,590 ha | 66,700 ha | 76,300 ha |
| 2014 | 8,480 ha | 69,300 ha | 77,700 ha |
| 2015 | 5,200 ha | 57,400 ha | 62,600 ha |
| 2016 | 6,590 ha | 72,200 ha | 78,800 ha |
| 2017 | 5,310 ha | 68,400 ha | 73,700 ha |
| 2018 | 4,030 ha | 73,900 ha | 77,900 ha |
| 2019 | 3,110 ha | 66,800 ha | 69,900 ha |
| 2020 | 2,220 ha | 57,600 ha | 59,800 ha |
| 2021 | 2,390 ha | 62,700 ha | 65,100 ha |
| 2022 | 2,210 ha | 55,300 ha | 57,500 ha |
| 2023 | 1,500 ha | 47,900 ha | 49,400 ha |
| 2024 | 1,420 ha | 37,200 ha | 38,600 ha |
| 2025 | 2,860 ha | 36,200 ha | 39,000 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 New Zealand?
- 10%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 89%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Logging86% · 1.29 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations9.5% · 144,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Wildfires2.2% · 32,500 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes1.4% · 20,500 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, mining and energy, shifting farming, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunedin | 2,120 ha | 21% | 200 ha |
| Tauranga | 1,310 ha | 35% | 261 ha |
| Lower Hutt | 1,140 ha | 7.3% | 351 ha |
| Christchurch | 829 ha | 27% | 135 ha |
| Wellington | 689 ha | 6.6% | 255 ha |
| Manukau City | 241 ha | 9.7% | 119 ha |
| Hamilton | 125 ha | 9.7% | 108 ha |
| Auckland | 44 ha | 1.8% | 30 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in New Zealand
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 New Zealand
How much forest has New Zealand lost since 2001?
Since 2001, New Zealand has lost about 1.51 million hectares of forest (about 15,000 km²): 14% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 152,000 hectares (10%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in New Zealand getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 49,900 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 72,000 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 New Zealand?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (86%), farms, pasture and plantations (9.5%), wildfires (2.2%). About 152,000 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 New Zealand?
The worst year was 2016, when about 78,800 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 New Zealand, 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.