Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Serbia
Since 2001, Serbia has lost about 83,000 hectares of forest (about 120,000 football pitches): 3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,820 hectares (4.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.72 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 83,000 ha3% of it, about 120,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,820 hadeforestation, 4.6% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20237,860 ha lost
Map
Where Serbia has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Serbia 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 Serbia, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 5,200 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 4,190 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2023, when about 7,860 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 | 59 ha | 2,280 ha | 2,340 ha |
| 2002 | 23 ha | 1,060 ha | 1,080 ha |
| 2003 | 31 ha | 800 ha | 831 ha |
| 2004 | 93 ha | 2,510 ha | 2,610 ha |
| 2005 | 65 ha | 1,470 ha | 1,530 ha |
| 2006 | 101 ha | 1,780 ha | 1,880 ha |
| 2007 | 103 ha | 2,110 ha | 2,210 ha |
| 2008 | 224 ha | 3,000 ha | 3,220 ha |
| 2009 | 132 ha | 2,320 ha | 2,460 ha |
| 2010 | 82 ha | 2,350 ha | 2,430 ha |
| 2011 | 132 ha | 2,050 ha | 2,180 ha |
| 2012 | 157 ha | 3,280 ha | 3,440 ha |
| 2013 | 97 ha | 2,670 ha | 2,760 ha |
| 2014 | 243 ha | 4,060 ha | 4,300 ha |
| 2015 | 120 ha | 2,660 ha | 2,780 ha |
| 2016 | 178 ha | 4,440 ha | 4,620 ha |
| 2017 | 171 ha | 3,340 ha | 3,510 ha |
| 2018 | 293 ha | 3,630 ha | 3,930 ha |
| 2019 | 185 ha | 3,710 ha | 3,900 ha |
| 2020 | 257 ha | 4,730 ha | 4,980 ha |
| 2021 | 173 ha | 3,900 ha | 4,080 ha |
| 2022 | 214 ha | 4,220 ha | 4,440 ha |
| 2023 | 346 ha | 7,510 ha | 7,860 ha |
| 2024 | 181 ha | 3,940 ha | 4,120 ha |
| 2025 | 165 ha | 5,320 ha | 5,490 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 Serbia?
- 4.6%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 90%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 5.8%cause unknown
- Logging86% · 70,900 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires3.5% · 2,920 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Towns and roads1.9% · 1,560 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy1.4% · 1,190 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Farms, pasture and plantations1.3% · 1,070 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes5.8% · 4,840 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: 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.
Satellite timelapses of cities in Serbia
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 Serbia
How much forest has Serbia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Serbia has lost about 83,000 hectares of forest (about 120,000 football pitches): 3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,820 hectares (4.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Serbia getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 5,200 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 4,190 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 Serbia?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (86%), wildfires (3.5%), towns and roads (1.9%). About 3,820 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 Serbia?
The worst year was 2023, when about 7,860 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 Serbia, 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.