Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Suriname
Since 2001, Suriname has lost about 297,000 hectares of forest (about 3,000 km²): 2.1% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (55%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for mining and energy.
- Forest in 2000
- 13.9 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 297,000 ha2.1% of it, about 3,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 164,000 hadeforestation, 55% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202433,800 ha lost
Map
Where Suriname has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Suriname 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 Suriname, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 20,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 17,300 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2024, when about 33,800 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 | 1,820 ha | 1,770 ha | 3,590 ha |
| 2002 | 1,680 ha | 1,970 ha | 3,660 ha |
| 2003 | 2,330 ha | 2,130 ha | 4,460 ha |
| 2004 | 2,790 ha | 2,530 ha | 5,330 ha |
| 2005 | 2,150 ha | 1,310 ha | 3,460 ha |
| 2006 | 2,170 ha | 1,200 ha | 3,370 ha |
| 2007 | 2,230 ha | 1,330 ha | 3,560 ha |
| 2008 | 4,810 ha | 2,560 ha | 7,360 ha |
| 2009 | 4,080 ha | 3,210 ha | 7,290 ha |
| 2010 | 4,900 ha | 2,050 ha | 6,950 ha |
| 2011 | 4,410 ha | 1,260 ha | 5,670 ha |
| 2012 | 12,400 ha | 6,890 ha | 19,300 ha |
| 2013 | 5,800 ha | 4,310 ha | 10,100 ha |
| 2014 | 9,850 ha | 4,800 ha | 14,700 ha |
| 2015 | 7,060 ha | 4,730 ha | 11,800 ha |
| 2016 | 10,800 ha | 5,830 ha | 16,600 ha |
| 2017 | 9,520 ha | 8,340 ha | 17,900 ha |
| 2018 | 9,230 ha | 9,740 ha | 19,000 ha |
| 2019 | 9,720 ha | 8,470 ha | 18,200 ha |
| 2020 | 8,310 ha | 6,610 ha | 14,900 ha |
| 2021 | 6,870 ha | 5,320 ha | 12,200 ha |
| 2022 | 8,860 ha | 5,470 ha | 14,300 ha |
| 2023 | 14,600 ha | 11,100 ha | 25,700 ha |
| 2024 | 10,700 ha | 23,000 ha | 33,800 ha |
| 2025 | 6,900 ha | 7,440 ha | 14,300 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 Suriname?
- 55%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 42%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.9%cause unknown
- Mining and energy36% · 108,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Farms, pasture and plantations17% · 51,800 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Logging17% · 49,200 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Shifting farming11% · 34,100 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Wildfires8.5% · 25,400 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes5.4% · 16,200 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Towns and roads1.4% · 4,250 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes2.9% · 8,570 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
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.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paramaribo | 2,070 ha | 24% | 2,030 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Suriname
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 Suriname
How much forest has Suriname lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Suriname has lost about 297,000 hectares of forest (about 3,000 km²): 2.1% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (55%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for mining and energy.
Is deforestation in Suriname getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 20,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 17,300 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 Suriname?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are mining and energy (36%), farms, pasture and plantations (17%), logging (17%). About 164,000 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 Suriname?
The worst year was 2024, when about 33,800 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 Suriname, 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.