Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Portugal
Since 2001, Portugal has lost about 1.3 million hectares of forest (about 13,000 km²): 57% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (49%), after which forest can grow back. About 36,800 hectares (2.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.28 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1.3 million ha57% of it, about 13,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 36,800 hadeforestation, 2.8% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2017174,000 ha lost
Map
Where Portugal has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Portugal 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 Portugal, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 44,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 92,800 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 174,000 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 | 1,370 ha | 22,800 ha | 24,200 ha |
| 2002 | 1,870 ha | 32,700 ha | 34,500 ha |
| 2003 | 1,180 ha | 25,400 ha | 26,600 ha |
| 2004 | 2,670 ha | 51,700 ha | 54,400 ha |
| 2005 | 1,500 ha | 37,300 ha | 38,800 ha |
| 2006 | 1,520 ha | 40,800 ha | 42,400 ha |
| 2007 | 1,770 ha | 34,300 ha | 36,100 ha |
| 2008 | 1,840 ha | 31,600 ha | 33,400 ha |
| 2009 | 2,020 ha | 37,700 ha | 39,700 ha |
| 2010 | 2,080 ha | 46,100 ha | 48,200 ha |
| 2011 | 1,100 ha | 25,400 ha | 26,500 ha |
| 2012 | 1,470 ha | 56,500 ha | 58,000 ha |
| 2013 | 919 ha | 50,700 ha | 51,600 ha |
| 2014 | 1,200 ha | 58,800 ha | 60,000 ha |
| 2015 | 1,120 ha | 44,700 ha | 45,800 ha |
| 2016 | 1,740 ha | 92,600 ha | 94,300 ha |
| 2017 | 1,360 ha | 172,000 ha | 174,000 ha |
| 2018 | 1,770 ha | 95,500 ha | 97,300 ha |
| 2019 | 1,020 ha | 35,800 ha | 36,800 ha |
| 2020 | 1,500 ha | 60,300 ha | 61,800 ha |
| 2021 | 1,010 ha | 36,100 ha | 37,100 ha |
| 2022 | 971 ha | 45,900 ha | 46,800 ha |
| 2023 | 808 ha | 35,500 ha | 36,300 ha |
| 2024 | 900 ha | 42,200 ha | 43,100 ha |
| 2025 | 2,050 ha | 54,700 ha | 56,700 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 Portugal?
- 2.8%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 97%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Wildfires49% · 640,000 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Logging48% · 626,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations1.6% · 20,300 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads1% · 13,700 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, 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.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Portugal
How much forest has Portugal lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Portugal has lost about 1.3 million hectares of forest (about 13,000 km²): 57% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (49%), after which forest can grow back. About 36,800 hectares (2.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Portugal getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 44,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 92,800 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 Portugal?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (49%), logging (48%), farms, pasture and plantations (1.6%). About 36,800 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 Portugal?
The worst year was 2017, when about 174,000 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 Portugal, 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.