Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Taiwan
Since 2001, Taiwan has lost about 50,800 hectares of forest (about 71,000 football pitches): 2.2% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was storms, floods and other natural causes (28%), after which forest can grow back. About 19,800 hectares (39%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 2.32 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 50,800 ha2.2% of it, about 71,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 19,800 hadeforestation, 39% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20098,120 ha lost
Map
Where Taiwan has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Taiwan 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 Taiwan, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 2,310 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 2,110 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 8,120 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 | 448 ha | 698 ha | 1,150 ha |
| 2002 | 362 ha | 608 ha | 970 ha |
| 2003 | 401 ha | 698 ha | 1,100 ha |
| 2004 | 575 ha | 1,220 ha | 1,790 ha |
| 2005 | 446 ha | 1,000 ha | 1,450 ha |
| 2006 | 803 ha | 1,240 ha | 2,040 ha |
| 2007 | 723 ha | 944 ha | 1,670 ha |
| 2008 | 1,010 ha | 1,250 ha | 2,260 ha |
| 2009 | 1,160 ha | 6,960 ha | 8,120 ha |
| 2010 | 708 ha | 1,720 ha | 2,430 ha |
| 2011 | 579 ha | 839 ha | 1,420 ha |
| 2012 | 520 ha | 863 ha | 1,380 ha |
| 2013 | 374 ha | 557 ha | 931 ha |
| 2014 | 488 ha | 546 ha | 1,030 ha |
| 2015 | 531 ha | 395 ha | 926 ha |
| 2016 | 1,640 ha | 1,630 ha | 3,270 ha |
| 2017 | 1,450 ha | 1,100 ha | 2,550 ha |
| 2018 | 1,050 ha | 834 ha | 1,890 ha |
| 2019 | 813 ha | 607 ha | 1,420 ha |
| 2020 | 874 ha | 566 ha | 1,440 ha |
| 2021 | 839 ha | 600 ha | 1,440 ha |
| 2022 | 897 ha | 596 ha | 1,490 ha |
| 2023 | 993 ha | 905 ha | 1,900 ha |
| 2024 | 1,130 ha | 2,540 ha | 3,660 ha |
| 2025 | 1,020 ha | 2,020 ha | 3,040 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 Taiwan?
- 39%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 56%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 4.5%cause unknown
- Storms, floods and other natural causes28% · 14,100 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Logging27% · 13,900 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations27% · 13,600 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads11% · 5,830 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes4.5% · 2,280 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: shifting farming, mining and energy, wildfires.
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 Taiwan
How much forest has Taiwan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Taiwan has lost about 50,800 hectares of forest (about 71,000 football pitches): 2.2% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was storms, floods and other natural causes (28%), after which forest can grow back. About 19,800 hectares (39%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Taiwan getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 2,310 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 2,110 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 Taiwan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are storms, floods and other natural causes (28%), logging (27%), farms, pasture and plantations (27%). About 19,800 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 Taiwan?
The worst year was 2009, when about 8,120 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 Taiwan, 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.