Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Sudan
Since 2001, Sudan has lost about 1,260 hectares of forest (about 1,800 football pitches): 1.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (88%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 67,200 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,260 ha1.9% of it, about 1,800 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 1,110 hadeforestation, 88% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2011207 ha lost
Map
Where Sudan has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Sudan 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 Sudan, year by year
The worst year was 2011, when about 207 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 | 25 ha | 7 ha | 32 ha |
| 2002 | 54 ha | 20 ha | 74 ha |
| 2003 | 15 ha | 3 ha | 18 ha |
| 2004 | 9 ha | 5 ha | 14 ha |
| 2005 | 94 ha | 11 ha | 105 ha |
| 2006 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2007 | 167 ha | 26 ha | 193 ha |
| 2008 | 50 ha | 9 ha | 59 ha |
| 2009 | 71 ha | 11 ha | 82 ha |
| 2010 | 43 ha | 6 ha | 48 ha |
| 2011 | 188 ha | 19 ha | 207 ha |
| 2012 | 8 ha | 5 ha | 13 ha |
| 2013 | 4 ha | 5 ha | 9 ha |
| 2014 | 4 ha | 2 ha | 6 ha |
| 2015 | 8 ha | under 1 ha | 8 ha |
| 2016 | 27 ha | under 1 ha | 27 ha |
| 2017 | 76 ha | under 1 ha | 77 ha |
| 2018 | 16 ha | under 1 ha | 16 ha |
| 2019 | 54 ha | 3 ha | 57 ha |
| 2020 | 64 ha | 3 ha | 67 ha |
| 2021 | 39 ha | 2 ha | 42 ha |
| 2022 | 38 ha | 1 ha | 40 ha |
| 2023 | 21 ha | 1 ha | 22 ha |
| 2024 | 27 ha | 1 ha | 28 ha |
| 2025 | 9 ha | 6 ha | 16 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 Sudan?
- 88%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 3%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 8.6%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations88% · 1,110 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming2.9% · 36 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Unknown causes8.7% · 109 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes, wildfires, towns and roads.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Darfur | 1,070 ha | 2.2% | 952 ha |
| Blue Nile | 166 ha | under 1% | 142 ha |
| Red Sea | 18 ha | — | 16 ha |
| Sennar | 1 ha | — | under 1 ha |
| Al Qaḑārif | 1 ha | — | under 1 ha |
| Eastern Darfur | 1 ha | — | under 1 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Sudan
How much forest has Sudan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Sudan has lost about 1,260 hectares of forest (about 1,800 football pitches): 1.9% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (88%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
What is causing deforestation in Sudan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (88%), shifting farming (2.9%), storms, floods and other natural causes (under 1%). About 1,110 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 Sudan?
The worst year was 2011, when about 207 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 Sudan, 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.