Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in the United Kingdom
Since 2001, the United Kingdom has lost about 607,000 hectares of forest (about 6,100 km²): 17% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 15,700 hectares (2.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 3.65 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 607,000 ha17% of it, about 6,100 km²
- Cleared for good
- 15,700 hadeforestation, 2.6% of the loss
- Worst year
- 200937,400 ha lost
Map
Where the United Kingdom has lost forest
Every square kilometre of the United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 26,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 25,700 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 37,400 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 | 4,070 ha | 19,000 ha | 23,100 ha |
| 2002 | 1,390 ha | 18,500 ha | 19,900 ha |
| 2003 | 195 ha | 1,660 ha | 1,860 ha |
| 2004 | 1,100 ha | 23,600 ha | 24,700 ha |
| 2005 | 607 ha | 8,220 ha | 8,830 ha |
| 2006 | 1,130 ha | 19,800 ha | 21,000 ha |
| 2007 | 957 ha | 30,000 ha | 31,000 ha |
| 2008 | 544 ha | 11,900 ha | 12,400 ha |
| 2009 | 1,140 ha | 36,300 ha | 37,400 ha |
| 2010 | 977 ha | 27,300 ha | 28,300 ha |
| 2011 | 442 ha | 21,900 ha | 22,300 ha |
| 2012 | 491 ha | 34,800 ha | 35,300 ha |
| 2013 | 285 ha | 28,000 ha | 28,300 ha |
| 2014 | 351 ha | 29,800 ha | 30,100 ha |
| 2015 | 146 ha | 23,700 ha | 23,800 ha |
| 2016 | 237 ha | 28,400 ha | 28,600 ha |
| 2017 | 193 ha | 22,700 ha | 22,900 ha |
| 2018 | 204 ha | 25,800 ha | 26,000 ha |
| 2019 | 190 ha | 28,000 ha | 28,100 ha |
| 2020 | 133 ha | 22,500 ha | 22,600 ha |
| 2021 | 99 ha | 25,900 ha | 26,000 ha |
| 2022 | 263 ha | 33,600 ha | 33,800 ha |
| 2023 | 134 ha | 21,300 ha | 21,500 ha |
| 2024 | 139 ha | 22,500 ha | 22,700 ha |
| 2025 | 259 ha | 26,100 ha | 26,300 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 United Kingdom?
- 2.6%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 96%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.9%cause unknown
- Logging93% · 565,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Wildfires2.2% · 13,500 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Farms, pasture and plantations2% · 12,300 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes1.9% · 11,300 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, mining and energy.
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.
Nations that lost the most
| Nation | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 395,000 ha | 25% | 7,420 ha |
| England | 120,000 ha | 8% | 6,550 ha |
| Wales | 65,600 ha | 17% | 806 ha |
| Northern Ireland | 25,500 ha | 13% | 891 ha |
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 the United Kingdom
How much forest has the United Kingdom lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the United Kingdom has lost about 607,000 hectares of forest (about 6,100 km²): 17% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 15,700 hectares (2.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in the United Kingdom getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 26,100 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 25,700 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 United Kingdom?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (93%), wildfires (2.2%), farms, pasture and plantations (2%). About 15,700 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 United Kingdom?
The worst year was 2009, when about 37,400 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 United Kingdom, 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.