Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Riga
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Riga has lost about 1,030 hectares of forest (about 1,400 football pitches): 11% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 280 hectares (27%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 9,790 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,030 ha11% of it, about 1,400 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 280 hadeforestation, 27% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2020166 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km east of the city centre.
Satellite photos of the same 5 × 5 km area, one per year, all taken in the same season so the colours compare. You can see forest being cleared and towns spreading, though not single trees. Download the before/after image (free to reuse with credit to Airleaf).
Year by year
Forest lost around Riga, year by year
Forest loss is slowing down: about 47 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 103 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2020, when about 166 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 | under 1 ha | 13 ha | 13 ha |
| 2002 | 2 ha | 4 ha | 6 ha |
| 2003 | 1 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2004 | 3 ha | 12 ha | 15 ha |
| 2005 | 1 ha | 4 ha | 5 ha |
| 2006 | 9 ha | 15 ha | 23 ha |
| 2007 | 11 ha | 15 ha | 26 ha |
| 2008 | 9 ha | 13 ha | 22 ha |
| 2009 | 24 ha | 16 ha | 39 ha |
| 2010 | 14 ha | 18 ha | 32 ha |
| 2011 | 7 ha | 11 ha | 18 ha |
| 2012 | 7 ha | 14 ha | 20 ha |
| 2013 | 5 ha | 15 ha | 20 ha |
| 2014 | 6 ha | 19 ha | 25 ha |
| 2015 | 12 ha | 10 ha | 21 ha |
| 2016 | 13 ha | 37 ha | 50 ha |
| 2017 | 23 ha | 65 ha | 87 ha |
| 2018 | 11 ha | 114 ha | 124 ha |
| 2019 | 14 ha | 71 ha | 85 ha |
| 2020 | 30 ha | 136 ha | 166 ha |
| 2021 | 13 ha | 6 ha | 19 ha |
| 2022 | 28 ha | 49 ha | 77 ha |
| 2023 | 10 ha | 15 ha | 26 ha |
| 2024 | 12 ha | 22 ha | 34 ha |
| 2025 | 19 ha | 60 ha | 79 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 8,370 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 9,330 ha
- Overall change
- +958 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Riga grew from about 8,370 hectares to 9,330 hectares, a net gain of about 958 hectares (+11%). New forest grew on about 1,350 hectares, while 393 hectares were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation around Riga?
- 27%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 70%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 2.9%cause unknown
- Logging70% · 723 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads25% · 259 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Mining and energy1.2% · 12 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Unknown causes2.8% · 29 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: farms, pasture and plantations, wildfires.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Nearby cities losing forest
| City | Forest lost (10 km) | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vilnius, Lithuania | 456 ha | 4% | 212 ha |
| Tallinn, Estonia | 972 ha | 12% | 581 ha |
| Helsinki, Finland | 500 ha | 7.8% | 473 ha |
| Mariehamn, Aland Islands | 3,340 ha | 27% | 243 ha |
| Stockholm, Sweden | 430 ha | 3.5% | 280 ha |
| Saint Petersburg, Russia | 324 ha | 7.8% | 312 ha |
Use this data
Put Riga's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Riga
How much forest has Riga lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Riga has lost about 1,030 hectares of forest (about 1,400 football pitches): 11% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 280 hectares (27%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation around Riga getting worse?
Forest loss is slowing down: about 47 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 103 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 around Riga?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (70%), towns and roads (25%), mining and energy (1.2%). About 280 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 around Riga?
The worst year was 2020, when about 166 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Riga growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Riga grew from about 8,370 hectares to 9,330 hectares, a net gain of about 958 hectares (+11%). New forest grew on about 1,350 hectares, while 393 hectares were lost. These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Can I see satellite images of Riga over the years?
Yes. The timelapse at the top of this page has a satellite photo for every year from 2017 to 2026 of a 5 × 5 km area near Riga, where the most forest was lost. Press play to watch it change, or turn on "Show cleared forest" to see exactly where trees 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 within 10 km of the centre of Riga, 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.