Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in North Macedonia
Since 2001, North Macedonia has lost about 52,900 hectares of forest (about 74,000 football pitches): 6.6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 1,810 hectares (3.4%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 800,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 52,900 ha6.6% of it, about 74,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,810 hadeforestation, 3.4% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20094,380 ha lost
Map
Where North Macedonia has lost forest
Every square kilometre of North Macedonia 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 Macedonia, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 2,390 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,590 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 4,380 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 | 134 ha | 1,930 ha | 2,070 ha |
| 2002 | 26 ha | 875 ha | 901 ha |
| 2003 | 48 ha | 859 ha | 906 ha |
| 2004 | 100 ha | 2,140 ha | 2,240 ha |
| 2005 | 58 ha | 1,280 ha | 1,330 ha |
| 2006 | 56 ha | 2,030 ha | 2,080 ha |
| 2007 | 75 ha | 3,840 ha | 3,910 ha |
| 2008 | 94 ha | 3,880 ha | 3,970 ha |
| 2009 | 100 ha | 4,280 ha | 4,380 ha |
| 2010 | 121 ha | 2,120 ha | 2,240 ha |
| 2011 | 101 ha | 2,070 ha | 2,170 ha |
| 2012 | 95 ha | 2,920 ha | 3,020 ha |
| 2013 | 53 ha | 1,140 ha | 1,200 ha |
| 2014 | 85 ha | 1,770 ha | 1,850 ha |
| 2015 | 61 ha | 738 ha | 799 ha |
| 2016 | 79 ha | 1,450 ha | 1,530 ha |
| 2017 | 34 ha | 1,130 ha | 1,160 ha |
| 2018 | 58 ha | 1,500 ha | 1,560 ha |
| 2019 | 87 ha | 1,720 ha | 1,810 ha |
| 2020 | 50 ha | 1,820 ha | 1,870 ha |
| 2021 | 46 ha | 2,270 ha | 2,320 ha |
| 2022 | 81 ha | 2,370 ha | 2,450 ha |
| 2023 | 84 ha | 2,740 ha | 2,830 ha |
| 2024 | 51 ha | 2,060 ha | 2,110 ha |
| 2025 | 36 ha | 2,200 ha | 2,230 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 Macedonia?
- 3.4%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 94%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.1%cause unknown
- Logging73% · 38,400 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires21% · 11,300 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations1.4% · 736 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads1.1% · 589 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes2.1% · 1,130 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.
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 North Macedonia
How much forest has North Macedonia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, North Macedonia has lost about 52,900 hectares of forest (about 74,000 football pitches): 6.6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 1,810 hectares (3.4%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in North Macedonia getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 2,390 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 1,590 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 Macedonia?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (73%), wildfires (21%), farms, pasture and plantations (1.4%). About 1,810 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 Macedonia?
The worst year was 2009, when about 4,380 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 North Macedonia, 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.