Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in The Netherlands
Since 2001, The Netherlands has lost about 33,800 hectares of forest (about 47,000 football pitches): 5.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,940 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 593,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 33,800 ha5.7% of it, about 47,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,940 hadeforestation, 12% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20103,370 ha lost
Map
Where The Netherlands has lost forest
Every square kilometre of The Netherlands 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 The Netherlands, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,450 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,700 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2010, when about 3,370 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 | 106 ha | 624 ha | 730 ha |
| 2002 | 85 ha | 743 ha | 828 ha |
| 2003 | 63 ha | 249 ha | 312 ha |
| 2004 | 118 ha | 1,170 ha | 1,290 ha |
| 2005 | 180 ha | 1,290 ha | 1,470 ha |
| 2006 | 144 ha | 1,310 ha | 1,450 ha |
| 2007 | 178 ha | 1,430 ha | 1,610 ha |
| 2008 | 128 ha | 983 ha | 1,110 ha |
| 2009 | 218 ha | 1,330 ha | 1,550 ha |
| 2010 | 307 ha | 3,060 ha | 3,370 ha |
| 2011 | 170 ha | 991 ha | 1,160 ha |
| 2012 | 121 ha | 816 ha | 937 ha |
| 2013 | 62 ha | 450 ha | 512 ha |
| 2014 | 107 ha | 765 ha | 872 ha |
| 2015 | 159 ha | 729 ha | 888 ha |
| 2016 | 281 ha | 1,140 ha | 1,420 ha |
| 2017 | 236 ha | 1,090 ha | 1,320 ha |
| 2018 | 186 ha | 1,110 ha | 1,290 ha |
| 2019 | 239 ha | 2,270 ha | 2,510 ha |
| 2020 | 202 ha | 1,730 ha | 1,940 ha |
| 2021 | 235 ha | 2,170 ha | 2,410 ha |
| 2022 | 89 ha | 1,080 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2023 | 135 ha | 1,410 ha | 1,550 ha |
| 2024 | 139 ha | 1,360 ha | 1,500 ha |
| 2025 | 48 ha | 580 ha | 628 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 The Netherlands?
- 12%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 85%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 3.6%cause unknown
- Logging83% · 28,100 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads7.7% · 2,600 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2.9% · 966 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Wildfires1.2% · 396 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Mining and energy1.1% · 374 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes3.6% · 1,220 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.
Regions that lost the most
| Region | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gelderland | 9,200 ha | 6.4% | 737 ha |
| North Brabant | 8,560 ha | 7.6% | 654 ha |
| Overijssel | 4,080 ha | 6.1% | 151 ha |
| Limburg | 2,470 ha | 5.9% | 323 ha |
| Utrecht | 1,810 ha | 5.2% | 345 ha |
| North Holland | 1,200 ha | 3% | 651 ha |
| Flevoland | 1,080 ha | 4.6% | 200 ha |
| Friesland | 780 ha | 2.5% | 71 ha |
| South Holland | 573 ha | 1.8% | 353 ha |
| Groningen | 367 ha | 2.8% | 186 ha |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apeldoorn | 839 ha | 5.5% | 69 ha |
| Eindhoven | 783 ha | 7.5% | 167 ha |
| Arnhem | 697 ha | 6.6% | 206 ha |
| Amersfoort | 681 ha | 7% | 123 ha |
| Tilburg | 626 ha | 7.1% | 123 ha |
| Venlo | 493 ha | 6.4% | 119 ha |
| Enschede | 457 ha | 4.4% | 79 ha |
| Breda | 450 ha | 6.9% | 48 ha |
| Maastricht | 320 ha | 6.2% | 71 ha |
| Nijmegen | 231 ha | 3.8% | 23 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in The Netherlands
How much forest has The Netherlands lost since 2001?
Since 2001, The Netherlands has lost about 33,800 hectares of forest (about 47,000 football pitches): 5.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,940 hectares (12%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in The Netherlands getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,450 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,700 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 The Netherlands?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (83%), towns and roads (7.7%), farms, pasture and plantations (2.9%). About 3,940 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 The Netherlands?
The worst year was 2010, when about 3,370 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 The Netherlands, 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.