Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Uruguay
Since 2001, Uruguay has lost about 444,000 hectares of forest (about 4,400 km²): 27% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 42,800 hectares (9.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 1.66 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 444,000 ha27% of it, about 4,400 km²
- Cleared for good
- 42,800 hadeforestation, 9.6% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201231,200 ha lost
Map
Where Uruguay has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Uruguay 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 Uruguay, year by year
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 14,800 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 18,200 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2012, when about 31,200 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 | 1,190 ha | 6,370 ha | 7,560 ha |
| 2002 | 904 ha | 5,910 ha | 6,820 ha |
| 2003 | 1,210 ha | 9,300 ha | 10,500 ha |
| 2004 | 1,800 ha | 13,200 ha | 15,000 ha |
| 2005 | 1,780 ha | 14,000 ha | 15,700 ha |
| 2006 | 2,110 ha | 18,700 ha | 20,800 ha |
| 2007 | 2,080 ha | 19,200 ha | 21,300 ha |
| 2008 | 2,590 ha | 20,800 ha | 23,400 ha |
| 2009 | 2,390 ha | 16,700 ha | 19,000 ha |
| 2010 | 1,310 ha | 16,300 ha | 17,600 ha |
| 2011 | 2,950 ha | 24,800 ha | 27,800 ha |
| 2012 | 4,200 ha | 27,000 ha | 31,200 ha |
| 2013 | 2,060 ha | 16,900 ha | 18,900 ha |
| 2014 | 2,670 ha | 22,900 ha | 25,600 ha |
| 2015 | 867 ha | 16,600 ha | 17,400 ha |
| 2016 | 2,200 ha | 21,300 ha | 23,500 ha |
| 2017 | 1,900 ha | 19,600 ha | 21,500 ha |
| 2018 | 797 ha | 18,500 ha | 19,300 ha |
| 2019 | 582 ha | 13,800 ha | 14,400 ha |
| 2020 | 485 ha | 12,100 ha | 12,600 ha |
| 2021 | 1,070 ha | 15,800 ha | 16,900 ha |
| 2022 | 1,600 ha | 14,100 ha | 15,700 ha |
| 2023 | 2,260 ha | 18,400 ha | 20,600 ha |
| 2024 | 1,090 ha | 10,300 ha | 11,300 ha |
| 2025 | 664 ha | 8,620 ha | 9,280 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 Uruguay?
- 9.6%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 89%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 1.4%cause unknown
- Logging88% · 392,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations9.2% · 40,700 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes1.4% · 6,000 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes, towns and roads, wildfires, 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivera | 1,440 ha | 11% | 189 ha |
| Paysandú | 1,100 ha | 17% | 408 ha |
| Salto | 882 ha | 12% | 488 ha |
| Maldonado | 839 ha | 25% | 558 ha |
| Montevideo | 35 ha | 12% | 33 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Uruguay
How much forest has Uruguay lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Uruguay has lost about 444,000 hectares of forest (about 4,400 km²): 27% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 42,800 hectares (9.6%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Uruguay getting worse?
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 14,800 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 18,200 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 Uruguay?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (88%), farms, pasture and plantations (9.2%), storms, floods and other natural causes (under 1%). About 42,800 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 Uruguay?
The worst year was 2012, when about 31,200 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 Uruguay, 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.