Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Tunisia
Since 2001, Tunisia has lost about 41,800 hectares of forest (about 59,000 football pitches): 18% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 3,470 hectares (8.3%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 237,000 ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 41,800 ha18% of it, about 59,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 3,470 hadeforestation, 8.3% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20179,880 ha lost
Map
Where Tunisia has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Tunisia 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 Tunisia, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 2,390 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 2,780 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2017, when about 9,880 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 65 ha | 167 ha | 232 ha |
| 2002 | 73 ha | 179 ha | 252 ha |
| 2003 | 198 ha | 1,350 ha | 1,550 ha |
| 2004 | 95 ha | 228 ha | 323 ha |
| 2005 | 167 ha | 470 ha | 637 ha |
| 2006 | 88 ha | 263 ha | 351 ha |
| 2007 | 175 ha | 712 ha | 887 ha |
| 2008 | 139 ha | 649 ha | 788 ha |
| 2009 | 241 ha | 787 ha | 1,030 ha |
| 2010 | 91 ha | 352 ha | 443 ha |
| 2011 | 236 ha | 2,000 ha | 2,230 ha |
| 2012 | 128 ha | 1,340 ha | 1,470 ha |
| 2013 | 86 ha | 1,260 ha | 1,350 ha |
| 2014 | 141 ha | 2,390 ha | 2,530 ha |
| 2015 | 105 ha | 1,810 ha | 1,920 ha |
| 2016 | 85 ha | 1,390 ha | 1,470 ha |
| 2017 | 222 ha | 9,650 ha | 9,880 ha |
| 2018 | 58 ha | 855 ha | 912 ha |
| 2019 | 148 ha | 377 ha | 525 ha |
| 2020 | 137 ha | 967 ha | 1,100 ha |
| 2021 | 88 ha | 2,040 ha | 2,130 ha |
| 2022 | 66 ha | 2,890 ha | 2,960 ha |
| 2023 | 165 ha | 3,320 ha | 3,490 ha |
| 2024 | 204 ha | 1,510 ha | 1,720 ha |
| 2025 | 266 ha | 1,390 ha | 1,650 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 Tunisia?
- 8.3%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 90%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.8%cause unknown
- Wildfires84% · 35,200 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations6.1% · 2,550 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Logging5.1% · 2,140 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads1.2% · 488 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy1% · 426 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes1.8% · 749 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes, shifting farming.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bizerte | 303 ha | 19% | 58 ha |
| Sukrah | 64 ha | 20% | 48 ha |
| El Mourouj | 26 ha | 7.1% | 16 ha |
| Tunis | 17 ha | — | 3 ha |
| Hammamet | 11 ha | 3.2% | 9 ha |
| Sīdī Ḥusayn | 4 ha | — | 2 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Tunisia
How much forest has Tunisia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Tunisia has lost about 41,800 hectares of forest (about 59,000 football pitches): 18% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 3,470 hectares (8.3%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Tunisia getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 2,390 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 2,780 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 Tunisia?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are wildfires (84%), farms, pasture and plantations (6.1%), logging (5.1%). About 3,470 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 Tunisia?
The worst year was 2017, when about 9,880 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
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 Tunisia, 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.