Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Vanuatu
Since 2001, Vanuatu has lost about 15,100 hectares of forest (about 21,000 football pitches): 1.4% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was storms, floods and other natural causes (43%), after which forest can grow back. About 2,200 hectares (15%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 1.07 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 15,100 ha1.4% of it, about 21,000 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 2,200 hadeforestation, 15% of the loss
- Worst year
- 20203,440 ha lost
Map
Where Vanuatu has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 266 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 1,130 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2020, when about 3,440 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 | 25 ha | 82 ha | 107 ha |
| 2002 | 41 ha | 49 ha | 90 ha |
| 2003 | 50 ha | 454 ha | 504 ha |
| 2004 | 72 ha | 273 ha | 345 ha |
| 2005 | 40 ha | 180 ha | 220 ha |
| 2006 | 34 ha | 170 ha | 204 ha |
| 2007 | 44 ha | 55 ha | 99 ha |
| 2008 | 63 ha | 99 ha | 162 ha |
| 2009 | 81 ha | 865 ha | 946 ha |
| 2010 | 64 ha | 204 ha | 268 ha |
| 2011 | 52 ha | 535 ha | 586 ha |
| 2012 | 69 ha | 108 ha | 177 ha |
| 2013 | 302 ha | 663 ha | 965 ha |
| 2014 | 147 ha | 419 ha | 566 ha |
| 2015 | 181 ha | 2,680 ha | 2,870 ha |
| 2016 | 238 ha | 1,000 ha | 1,240 ha |
| 2017 | 87 ha | 336 ha | 423 ha |
| 2018 | 33 ha | 313 ha | 345 ha |
| 2019 | 71 ha | 144 ha | 215 ha |
| 2020 | 210 ha | 3,230 ha | 3,440 ha |
| 2021 | 11 ha | 38 ha | 49 ha |
| 2022 | 7 ha | 34 ha | 41 ha |
| 2023 | 142 ha | 554 ha | 696 ha |
| 2024 | 53 ha | 229 ha | 282 ha |
| 2025 | 86 ha | 176 ha | 262 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 Vanuatu?
- 15%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 79%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 6.3%cause unknown
- Storms, floods and other natural causes43% · 6,420 ha
Can grow back. Trees killed by storms, floods, landslides, pests or disease.
- Logging27% · 4,070 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations13% · 2,030 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Wildfires6.7% · 1,010 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Shifting farming2.9% · 436 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Towns and roads1.1% · 170 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Unknown causes6.3% · 947 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.
| City | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port-Vila | 285 ha | 1.7% | 232 ha |
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Vanuatu
How much forest has Vanuatu lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Vanuatu has lost about 15,100 hectares of forest (about 21,000 football pitches): 1.4% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was storms, floods and other natural causes (43%), after which forest can grow back. About 2,200 hectares (15%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Vanuatu getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 266 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 1,130 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 Vanuatu?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are storms, floods and other natural causes (43%), logging (27%), farms, pasture and plantations (13%). About 2,200 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 Vanuatu?
The worst year was 2020, when about 3,440 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 Vanuatu, 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.