Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Yamoussoukro
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Yamoussoukro has lost about 991 hectares of forest (about 1,400 football pitches): 35% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
- Forest in 2000
- 2,800 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 991 ha35% of it, about 1,400 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 990 hadeforestation, over 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 2022171 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from February 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km west 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 Yamoussoukro, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 122 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 49 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2022, when about 171 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 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2002 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2003 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2004 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2006 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2007 | 12 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2008 | 29 ha | under 1 ha | 29 ha |
| 2009 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2010 | 16 ha | under 1 ha | 17 ha |
| 2011 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2012 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2013 | 6 ha | under 1 ha | 6 ha |
| 2014 | 23 ha | under 1 ha | 23 ha |
| 2015 | 7 ha | under 1 ha | 7 ha |
| 2016 | 68 ha | under 1 ha | 68 ha |
| 2017 | 62 ha | under 1 ha | 62 ha |
| 2018 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2019 | 50 ha | under 1 ha | 50 ha |
| 2020 | 56 ha | under 1 ha | 56 ha |
| 2021 | 152 ha | under 1 ha | 152 ha |
| 2022 | 171 ha | under 1 ha | 171 ha |
| 2023 | 156 ha | under 1 ha | 156 ha |
| 2024 | 116 ha | under 1 ha | 116 ha |
| 2025 | 15 ha | under 1 ha | 15 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 7,640 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 6,310 ha
- Overall change
- −1,340 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Yamoussoukro shrank from about 7,640 hectares to 6,310 hectares, a net loss of about 1,340 hectares (−17%). New forest grew on about 378 hectares, but 1,710 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 Yamoussoukro?
- over 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- Farms, pasture and plantations93% · 917 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Towns and roads7.3% · 72 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: mining and energy, shifting farming.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kumasi, Ghana | 1,170 ha | 49% | 1,170 ha |
Use this data
Put Yamoussoukro's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Yamoussoukro
How much forest has Yamoussoukro lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Yamoussoukro has lost about 991 hectares of forest (about 1,400 football pitches): 35% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
Is deforestation around Yamoussoukro getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 122 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 49 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 Yamoussoukro?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are farms, pasture and plantations (93%), towns and roads (7.3%), mining and energy (under 1%). About 990 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 Yamoussoukro?
The worst year was 2022, when about 171 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Yamoussoukro growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Yamoussoukro shrank from about 7,640 hectares to 6,310 hectares, a net loss of about 1,340 hectares (−17%). New forest grew on about 378 hectares, but 1,710 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 Yamoussoukro 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 Yamoussoukro, 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 Yamoussoukro, 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.