Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Poland
Since 2001, Poland has lost about 1.52 million hectares of forest (about 15,000 km²): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 35,100 hectares (2.3%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 10.5 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1.52 million ha15% of it, about 15,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 35,100 hadeforestation, 2.3% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201896,800 ha lost
Map
Where Poland has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Poland 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 Poland, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 75,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 86,200 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2018, when about 96,800 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 | 546 ha | 18,500 ha | 19,100 ha |
| 2002 | 686 ha | 30,400 ha | 31,100 ha |
| 2003 | 594 ha | 32,600 ha | 33,200 ha |
| 2004 | 900 ha | 40,900 ha | 41,800 ha |
| 2005 | 1,930 ha | 80,800 ha | 82,800 ha |
| 2006 | 863 ha | 36,800 ha | 37,600 ha |
| 2007 | 1,790 ha | 55,600 ha | 57,300 ha |
| 2008 | 1,360 ha | 46,700 ha | 48,100 ha |
| 2009 | 1,540 ha | 45,400 ha | 46,900 ha |
| 2010 | 2,240 ha | 69,700 ha | 72,000 ha |
| 2011 | 1,760 ha | 54,900 ha | 56,600 ha |
| 2012 | 1,700 ha | 53,100 ha | 54,800 ha |
| 2013 | 706 ha | 34,200 ha | 34,900 ha |
| 2014 | 1,310 ha | 54,900 ha | 56,200 ha |
| 2015 | 1,030 ha | 41,600 ha | 42,600 ha |
| 2016 | 2,430 ha | 84,000 ha | 86,400 ha |
| 2017 | 2,590 ha | 93,600 ha | 96,200 ha |
| 2018 | 2,060 ha | 94,800 ha | 96,800 ha |
| 2019 | 1,550 ha | 75,100 ha | 76,600 ha |
| 2020 | 1,680 ha | 73,400 ha | 75,000 ha |
| 2021 | 1,060 ha | 76,400 ha | 77,400 ha |
| 2022 | 1,420 ha | 70,600 ha | 72,000 ha |
| 2023 | 1,340 ha | 74,600 ha | 76,000 ha |
| 2024 | 952 ha | 70,500 ha | 71,400 ha |
| 2025 | 1,060 ha | 77,200 ha | 78,200 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 Poland?
- 2.3%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 97%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- under 1%cause unknown
- Logging97% · 1.47 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads1.5% · 22,200 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, farms, pasture and plantations, storms, floods and other natural causes, wildfires, 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.
Regions that lost the most
| Region | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Pomerania | 170,000 ha | 17% | 1,820 ha |
| Lubusz | 160,000 ha | 21% | 1,800 ha |
| Greater Poland | 153,000 ha | 19% | 1,890 ha |
| Pomerania | 142,000 ha | 19% | 1,790 ha |
| Warmia-Masuria | 129,000 ha | 15% | 1,680 ha |
| Mazovia | 111,000 ha | 12% | 5,650 ha |
| Lower Silesia | 105,000 ha | 15% | 3,470 ha |
| Podlasie | 85,100 ha | 12% | 2,050 ha |
| Kujawsko-Pomorskie | 77,800 ha | 18% | 1,560 ha |
| Silesia | 75,700 ha | 15% | 3,240 ha |
| Łódź Voivodeship | 69,000 ha | 15% | 3,290 ha |
| Subcarpathia | 65,800 ha | 8.4% | 1,810 ha |
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 Poland
How much forest has Poland lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Poland has lost about 1.52 million hectares of forest (about 15,000 km²): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 35,100 hectares (2.3%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Poland getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 75,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 86,200 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 Poland?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (97%), towns and roads (1.5%), mining and energy (under 1%). About 35,100 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 Poland?
The worst year was 2018, when about 96,800 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 Poland, 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.