Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Singapore
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Singapore has lost about 468 hectares of forest (about 660 football pitches): 12% 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
- 3,950 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 468 ha12% of it, about 660 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 461 hadeforestation, 98% of the loss
- Worst year
- 200950 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from April 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 Singapore, year by year
The worst year was 2009, when about 50 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 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2002 | 11 ha | under 1 ha | 11 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2004 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2005 | 34 ha | under 1 ha | 35 ha |
| 2006 | 16 ha | under 1 ha | 16 ha |
| 2007 | 19 ha | under 1 ha | 20 ha |
| 2008 | 26 ha | under 1 ha | 27 ha |
| 2009 | 49 ha | under 1 ha | 50 ha |
| 2010 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 10 ha |
| 2011 | 24 ha | under 1 ha | 24 ha |
| 2012 | 23 ha | 1 ha | 24 ha |
| 2013 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2014 | 18 ha | under 1 ha | 18 ha |
| 2015 | 20 ha | under 1 ha | 20 ha |
| 2016 | 19 ha | under 1 ha | 20 ha |
| 2017 | 36 ha | under 1 ha | 36 ha |
| 2018 | 23 ha | under 1 ha | 23 ha |
| 2019 | 30 ha | under 1 ha | 30 ha |
| 2020 | 14 ha | under 1 ha | 14 ha |
| 2021 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2022 | 12 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2023 | 35 ha | under 1 ha | 36 ha |
| 2024 | 11 ha | under 1 ha | 11 ha |
| 2025 | 14 ha | under 1 ha | 14 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 5,520 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 5,190 ha
- Overall change
- −331 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Singapore shrank from about 5,520 hectares to 5,190 hectares, a net loss of about 331 hectares (−6%). New forest grew on about 234 hectares, but 566 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 Singapore?
- 98%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 1.5%cause unknown
- Towns and roads74% · 345 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Farms, pasture and plantations25% · 116 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes1.6% · 7 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.
Nearby cities losing forest
| City | Forest lost (10 km) | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batam, Indonesia | 2,820 ha | 36% | 2,680 ha |
| Pekanbaru, Indonesia | 5,150 ha | 42% | 5,150 ha |
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 1,250 ha | 25% | 1,250 ha |
| Jambi City, Indonesia | 5,870 ha | 35% | 5,860 ha |
| Palembang, Indonesia | 5,540 ha | 44% | 5,180 ha |
Use this data
Put Singapore's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Singapore
How much forest has Singapore lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Singapore has lost about 468 hectares of forest (about 660 football pitches): 12% 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 Singapore?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (74%), farms, pasture and plantations (25%). About 461 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 Singapore?
The worst year was 2009, when about 50 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Singapore growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Singapore shrank from about 5,520 hectares to 5,190 hectares, a net loss of about 331 hectares (−6%). New forest grew on about 234 hectares, but 566 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 Singapore 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 Singapore, 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 Singapore, 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.