Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in North Korea
Since 2001, North Korea has lost about 302,000 hectares of forest (about 3,000 km²): 5.8% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 61,000 hectares (20%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 5.2 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 302,000 ha5.8% of it, about 3,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 61,000 hadeforestation, 20% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201927,000 ha lost
Map
Where North Korea has lost forest
Every square kilometre of North Korea 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 North Korea, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 10,900 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 13,900 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2019, when about 27,000 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 | 2,130 ha | 9,810 ha | 11,900 ha |
| 2002 | 1,260 ha | 4,100 ha | 5,360 ha |
| 2003 | 1,280 ha | 6,080 ha | 7,360 ha |
| 2004 | 2,360 ha | 9,020 ha | 11,400 ha |
| 2005 | 3,500 ha | 13,000 ha | 16,500 ha |
| 2006 | 2,880 ha | 9,700 ha | 12,600 ha |
| 2007 | 4,880 ha | 8,400 ha | 13,300 ha |
| 2008 | 6,440 ha | 12,400 ha | 18,800 ha |
| 2009 | 4,220 ha | 8,890 ha | 13,100 ha |
| 2010 | 6,240 ha | 12,800 ha | 19,000 ha |
| 2011 | 899 ha | 4,530 ha | 5,430 ha |
| 2012 | 6,660 ha | 10,000 ha | 16,700 ha |
| 2013 | 732 ha | 4,290 ha | 5,020 ha |
| 2014 | 3,490 ha | 7,450 ha | 10,900 ha |
| 2015 | 666 ha | 10,200 ha | 10,900 ha |
| 2016 | 780 ha | 10,700 ha | 11,500 ha |
| 2017 | 980 ha | 7,550 ha | 8,530 ha |
| 2018 | 754 ha | 6,950 ha | 7,700 ha |
| 2019 | 2,310 ha | 24,700 ha | 27,000 ha |
| 2020 | 1,850 ha | 12,900 ha | 14,700 ha |
| 2021 | 2,170 ha | 11,600 ha | 13,800 ha |
| 2022 | 1,320 ha | 7,730 ha | 9,050 ha |
| 2023 | 1,640 ha | 8,500 ha | 10,100 ha |
| 2024 | 818 ha | 11,200 ha | 12,100 ha |
| 2025 | 800 ha | 8,720 ha | 9,520 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 North Korea?
- 20%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 78%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.7%cause unknown
- Logging55% · 166,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires23% · 68,300 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations19% · 58,100 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes1.7% · 5,200 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, towns and roads, shifting farming.
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.
Regions that lost the most
| Region | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yanggang-do | 68,000 ha | 7.9% | 10,900 ha |
| Chagang | 63,600 ha | 5.8% | 24,900 ha |
| South Hamgyong | 58,000 ha | 7% | 4,990 ha |
| North Hamgyong | 53,700 ha | 5.8% | 7,140 ha |
| South Pyongan | 26,000 ha | 6.2% | 6,180 ha |
| P'yŏngan-bukto | 14,500 ha | 3.5% | 1,990 ha |
| Kangwŏn-do | 12,200 ha | 2.8% | 3,330 ha |
| North Hwanghae | 3,010 ha | 2.1% | 1,380 ha |
| South Hwanghae | 1,880 ha | 4.1% | 112 ha |
| Pyongyang | 873 ha | 4% | 161 ha |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanggye | 1,080 ha | 11% | 588 ha |
| Tŏkch’ŏn | 1,050 ha | 10% | 92 ha |
| Manp’o | 539 ha | 5.3% | 466 ha |
| Changam-ch’on | 506 ha | 4.4% | 61 ha |
| Hyesan | 452 ha | 10% | 30 ha |
| P’yŏngsŏng | 448 ha | 8.9% | under 1 ha |
| Ŭllyul | 243 ha | 4.1% | 3 ha |
| Kaech’ŏn | 170 ha | 8.6% | 49 ha |
| Sariwŏn-si | 156 ha | 13% | under 1 ha |
| Haeju | 89 ha | 3.5% | 6 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in North Korea
How much forest has North Korea lost since 2001?
Since 2001, North Korea has lost about 302,000 hectares of forest (about 3,000 km²): 5.8% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 61,000 hectares (20%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in North Korea getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 10,900 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 13,900 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 North Korea?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (55%), wildfires (23%), farms, pasture and plantations (19%). About 61,000 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 North Korea?
The worst year was 2019, when about 27,000 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 North Korea, 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.