Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Since 2001, Svalbard and Jan Mayen has lost about 231,000 hectares of forest (about 2,300 km²): 17% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (71%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 1.32 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 231,000 ha17% of it, about 2,300 km²
- Cleared for good
- 163,000 hadeforestation, 71% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2017103,000 ha lost
Map
Where Svalbard and Jan Mayen has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Svalbard and Jan Mayen 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 3,560 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 23,600 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 103,000 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 | 5,560 ha | 330 ha | 5,890 ha |
| 2002 | 6,340 ha | 268 ha | 6,610 ha |
| 2003 | 5,470 ha | 191 ha | 5,660 ha |
| 2004 | 2,010 ha | 1,610 ha | 3,620 ha |
| 2005 | 9,430 ha | 301 ha | 9,730 ha |
| 2006 | 4,300 ha | 285 ha | 4,580 ha |
| 2007 | 7,070 ha | 790 ha | 7,860 ha |
| 2008 | 7,110 ha | 665 ha | 7,770 ha |
| 2009 | 9,100 ha | 461 ha | 9,560 ha |
| 2010 | 19,200 ha | 387 ha | 19,600 ha |
| 2011 | 4,000 ha | 413 ha | 4,420 ha |
| 2012 | 4,510 ha | 406 ha | 4,920 ha |
| 2013 | 1,290 ha | 212 ha | 1,500 ha |
| 2014 | 2,320 ha | 290 ha | 2,610 ha |
| 2015 | 718 ha | 254 ha | 972 ha |
| 2016 | 5,700 ha | 729 ha | 6,430 ha |
| 2017 | 47,900 ha | 55,400 ha | 103,000 ha |
| 2018 | 2,290 ha | 685 ha | 2,970 ha |
| 2019 | 2,410 ha | 217 ha | 2,630 ha |
| 2020 | 2,290 ha | 270 ha | 2,560 ha |
| 2021 | 2,090 ha | 272 ha | 2,360 ha |
| 2022 | 2,400 ha | 290 ha | 2,690 ha |
| 2023 | 3,810 ha | 1,000 ha | 4,810 ha |
| 2024 | 4,180 ha | 1,000 ha | 5,180 ha |
| 2025 | 1,930 ha | 823 ha | 2,750 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
- 71%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 29%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Farms, pasture and plantations70% · 162,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes16% · 37,600 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Wildfires4.5% · 10,300 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Shifting farming4.4% · 10,100 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Logging3.9% · 8,890 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, mining and energy, 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.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Svalbard and Jan Mayen
How much forest has Svalbard and Jan Mayen lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Svalbard and Jan Mayen has lost about 231,000 hectares of forest (about 2,300 km²): 17% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (71%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Svalbard and Jan Mayen getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 3,560 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 23,600 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (70%), storms, floods and other natural causes (16%), wildfires (4.5%). About 163,000 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen?
The worst year was 2017, when about 103,000 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen, 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.