Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Timor Leste
Since 2001, Timor Leste has lost about 34,700 hectares of forest (about 49,000 football pitches): 4.8% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (89%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 729,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 34,700 ha4.8% of it, about 49,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 30,900 hadeforestation, 89% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20062,900 ha lost
Map
Where Timor Leste has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Timor Leste 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 Timor Leste, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,190 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,470 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2006, when about 2,900 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 | 636 ha | 67 ha | 703 ha |
| 2002 | 1,470 ha | 152 ha | 1,630 ha |
| 2003 | 613 ha | 94 ha | 707 ha |
| 2004 | 1,880 ha | 195 ha | 2,070 ha |
| 2005 | 1,180 ha | 127 ha | 1,310 ha |
| 2006 | 2,630 ha | 276 ha | 2,900 ha |
| 2007 | 1,410 ha | 126 ha | 1,540 ha |
| 2008 | 729 ha | 79 ha | 808 ha |
| 2009 | 2,410 ha | 204 ha | 2,610 ha |
| 2010 | 543 ha | 93 ha | 636 ha |
| 2011 | 1,330 ha | 147 ha | 1,470 ha |
| 2012 | 1,720 ha | 168 ha | 1,890 ha |
| 2013 | 408 ha | 50 ha | 458 ha |
| 2014 | 1,520 ha | 354 ha | 1,870 ha |
| 2015 | 745 ha | 102 ha | 847 ha |
| 2016 | 1,230 ha | 108 ha | 1,340 ha |
| 2017 | 1,600 ha | 177 ha | 1,770 ha |
| 2018 | 1,160 ha | 105 ha | 1,270 ha |
| 2019 | 1,240 ha | 252 ha | 1,490 ha |
| 2020 | 1,200 ha | 274 ha | 1,480 ha |
| 2021 | 1,200 ha | 213 ha | 1,420 ha |
| 2022 | 1,030 ha | 85 ha | 1,120 ha |
| 2023 | 1,300 ha | 172 ha | 1,470 ha |
| 2024 | 835 ha | 107 ha | 942 ha |
| 2025 | 850 ha | 137 ha | 987 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 Timor Leste?
- 89%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 9.3%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.8%cause unknown
- Farms, pasture and plantations86% · 29,900 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming3.5% · 1,220 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Storms, floods and other natural causes2.5% · 853 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Wildfires1.9% · 668 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Mining and energy1.6% · 539 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Logging1.4% · 502 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads1.2% · 410 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes1.8% · 622 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.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Timor Leste
How much forest has Timor Leste lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Timor Leste has lost about 34,700 hectares of forest (about 49,000 football pitches): 4.8% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (89%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation in Timor Leste getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,190 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 1,470 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 Timor Leste?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (86%), shifting farming (3.5%), storms, floods and other natural causes (2.5%). About 30,900 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 Timor Leste?
The worst year was 2006, when about 2,900 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 Timor Leste, 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.