Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around San Salvador
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of San Salvador has lost about 869 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 5.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (98%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 16,700 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 869 ha5.2% of it, about 1,200 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 849 hadeforestation, 98% of the loss
- Worst year
- 201761 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from January 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north 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 San Salvador, year by year
The worst year was 2017, when about 61 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 | 48 ha | 1 ha | 49 ha |
| 2002 | 37 ha | under 1 ha | 38 ha |
| 2003 | 60 ha | under 1 ha | 61 ha |
| 2004 | 42 ha | under 1 ha | 43 ha |
| 2005 | 43 ha | under 1 ha | 43 ha |
| 2006 | 47 ha | under 1 ha | 48 ha |
| 2007 | 45 ha | under 1 ha | 45 ha |
| 2008 | 17 ha | 1 ha | 18 ha |
| 2009 | 39 ha | under 1 ha | 39 ha |
| 2010 | 16 ha | 1 ha | 17 ha |
| 2011 | 22 ha | 2 ha | 24 ha |
| 2012 | 43 ha | 3 ha | 46 ha |
| 2013 | 20 ha | under 1 ha | 21 ha |
| 2014 | 15 ha | under 1 ha | 15 ha |
| 2015 | 33 ha | under 1 ha | 33 ha |
| 2016 | 35 ha | 2 ha | 37 ha |
| 2017 | 60 ha | 1 ha | 61 ha |
| 2018 | 39 ha | 2 ha | 41 ha |
| 2019 | 29 ha | under 1 ha | 29 ha |
| 2020 | 25 ha | under 1 ha | 25 ha |
| 2021 | 23 ha | under 1 ha | 23 ha |
| 2022 | 21 ha | under 1 ha | 21 ha |
| 2023 | 15 ha | under 1 ha | 15 ha |
| 2024 | 33 ha | under 1 ha | 33 ha |
| 2025 | 44 ha | 2 ha | 46 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 20,900 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 20,600 ha
- Overall change
- −315 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around San Salvador stayed about the same size, at about 20,600 hectares: new forest grew on about 114 hectares, and about 429 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 San Salvador?
- 98%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 2%cause unknown
- Towns and roads70% · 612 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations26% · 229 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes2% · 17 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, shifting farming, logging.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala City, Guatemala | 1,270 ha | 10% | 1,260 ha |
| Tegucigalpa, Honduras | 869 ha | 9.6% | 820 ha |
| Belmopan, Belize | 13,700 ha | 50% | 11,300 ha |
Use this data
Put San Salvador's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around San Salvador
How much forest has San Salvador lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of San Salvador has lost about 869 hectares of forest (about 1,200 football pitches): 5.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (98%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
What is causing deforestation around San Salvador?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (70%), farms, pasture and plantations (26%), mining and energy (under 1%). About 849 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 San Salvador?
The worst year was 2017, when about 61 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around San Salvador growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around San Salvador stayed about the same size, at about 20,600 hectares: new forest grew on about 114 hectares, and about 429 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 San Salvador 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 San Salvador, 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 San Salvador, 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.