Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in Vietnam
Since 2001, Vietnam has lost about 3.85 million hectares of forest (about 39,000 km²): 23% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (47%), after which forest can grow back. About 1.41 million hectares (37%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 16.8 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 3.85 million ha23% of it, about 39,000 km²
- Cleared for good
- 1.41 million hadeforestation, 37% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2016357,000 ha lost
Map
Where Vietnam has lost forest
Every square kilometre of Vietnam 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 Vietnam, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 150,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 262,000 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2016, when about 357,000 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 | 26,200 ha | 21,400 ha | 47,600 ha |
| 2002 | 35,200 ha | 14,700 ha | 49,900 ha |
| 2003 | 22,300 ha | 21,200 ha | 43,400 ha |
| 2004 | 41,500 ha | 32,600 ha | 74,100 ha |
| 2005 | 57,100 ha | 45,600 ha | 103,000 ha |
| 2006 | 41,600 ha | 38,000 ha | 79,600 ha |
| 2007 | 36,500 ha | 44,400 ha | 80,900 ha |
| 2008 | 74,400 ha | 35,600 ha | 110,000 ha |
| 2009 | 72,300 ha | 66,000 ha | 138,000 ha |
| 2010 | 116,000 ha | 60,300 ha | 176,000 ha |
| 2011 | 79,500 ha | 52,700 ha | 132,000 ha |
| 2012 | 90,600 ha | 92,500 ha | 183,000 ha |
| 2013 | 34,600 ha | 99,400 ha | 134,000 ha |
| 2014 | 67,300 ha | 153,000 ha | 220,000 ha |
| 2015 | 55,800 ha | 165,000 ha | 220,000 ha |
| 2016 | 98,600 ha | 259,000 ha | 357,000 ha |
| 2017 | 82,000 ha | 209,000 ha | 291,000 ha |
| 2018 | 57,100 ha | 171,000 ha | 228,000 ha |
| 2019 | 57,100 ha | 163,000 ha | 221,000 ha |
| 2020 | 57,000 ha | 154,000 ha | 211,000 ha |
| 2021 | 46,000 ha | 150,000 ha | 196,000 ha |
| 2022 | 44,300 ha | 122,000 ha | 167,000 ha |
| 2023 | 40,700 ha | 97,100 ha | 138,000 ha |
| 2024 | 41,600 ha | 88,400 ha | 130,000 ha |
| 2025 | 39,100 ha | 81,500 ha | 121,000 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 Vietnam?
- 37%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 63%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- Logging47% · 1.82 million ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Farms, pasture and plantations35% · 1.34 million ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Shifting farming15% · 590,000 ha
Can grow back. Small patches cleared to grow crops for a few seasons, then left to grow back.
- Mining and energy1.1% · 40,600 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
Also, each under 1%: towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, wildfires, unknown causes.
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.
Provinces that lost the most
| Province | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nghệ An Province | 259,000 ha | 23% | 23,600 ha |
| Quảng Ninh | 159,000 ha | 47% | 8,390 ha |
| Quang Ngai | 146,000 ha | 55% | 2,210 ha |
| Sơn La Province | 134,000 ha | 15% | 85,100 ha |
| An Giang | 132,000 ha | 30% | 124,000 ha |
| Can Tho City | 128,000 ha | 16% | 34,700 ha |
| Thanh Hóa Province | 125,000 ha | 20% | 14,100 ha |
| Lam Dong | 123,000 ha | 30% | 18,300 ha |
| Tuyen Quang | 123,000 ha | 30% | 18,300 ha |
| Thừa Thiên Huế Province | 115,000 ha | 31% | 9,800 ha |
| Gia Lai | 111,000 ha | 30% | 8,470 ha |
| Hà Tĩnh Province | 111,000 ha | 30% | 8,470 ha |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chơn Thành | 9,320 ha | 85% | 9,110 ha |
| Bến Cát | 8,010 ha | 72% | 8,010 ha |
| Ðông Hà | 6,870 ha | 78% | 287 ha |
| Yên Bái | 6,710 ha | 52% | 2,120 ha |
| Phong Điền | 5,930 ha | 67% | 9 ha |
| Kỳ Anh | 5,890 ha | 53% | 121 ha |
| Tuyên Quang | 5,760 ha | 54% | 216 ha |
| Hòa Bình | 5,740 ha | 34% | 533 ha |
| Đồng Xoài | 4,960 ha | 43% | 4,950 ha |
| Thị Trấn Đại Từ | 4,950 ha | 41% | 636 ha |
Satellite timelapses of cities in Vietnam
A satellite photo a year since 2017, with the forest lost marked on it, and the figures for each city.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in Vietnam
How much forest has Vietnam lost since 2001?
Since 2001, Vietnam has lost about 3.85 million hectares of forest (about 39,000 km²): 23% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was logging (47%), after which forest can grow back. About 1.41 million hectares (37%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in Vietnam getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 150,000 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 262,000 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 Vietnam?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (47%), farms, pasture and plantations (35%), shifting farming (15%). About 1.41 million 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 Vietnam?
The worst year was 2016, when about 357,000 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 Vietnam, 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.