Skip to content
Nations Inquiry — home

JRC · Tropical Moist Forest Deforestation

Tropical deforestation by country

How much tropical moist forest is cleared or degraded each year?

Of the 100 countries compared in 2025, Brazil had the highest reading, 0.707770, and 3 countries shared the lowest reading, 0.000000. In the middle country the figure was 0.000803. Among the 100 countries measured in every edition since 1990, the middle one moved from 0.002887 to 0.000803.

Share

Share this page

Part ofEnvironment & Sustainability

Tropical deforestation · 2025

Context statistic

Highest of 100Brazil

0.707770

012025 · values only

The highest and the lowest

The three countries with the highest values of 100 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.

  1. 1

    Brazil

    South America

    0.707770

  2. 2

    Indonesia

    South-eastern Asia

    0.565640

  3. 3

    DR Congo

    Middle Africa

    0.321233

Lowest in 2025

  1. United States0.000000
  2. Uruguay0.000000
  3. Argentina0.000000

This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.

Highest on each continent

02Every measured country

Tropical deforestation on a map

Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.

All regions

Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.

  • 0.000000–0.000006
  • 0.000007–0.000132
  • 0.000191–0.001897
  • 0.001947–0.012501
  • 0.012677–0.707770
  • No reading in 2025 (2 measured in an earlier edition)
  • Asia

    0.002781

    the middle country, of 17 measured · 52 members

    Indonesia0.565640

    China0.000038

    Highest and lowest reading in Asia.

  • Africa

    0.000998

    the middle country, of 36 measured · 55 members

    DR Congo0.321233

    Seychelles0.000000

    Highest and lowest reading in Africa.

  • Oceania

    0.000538

    the middle country, of 6 measured · 21 members

    Papua New Guinea0.022795

    New Caledonia0.000229

    Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.

  • Americas

    0.000096

    the middle country, of 41 measured · 48 members

    Brazil0.707770

    3 share 0.000000

    Highest and lowest reading in Americas.

12 sub-regions, highest middle country first
  • Middle Africa

    0.017463

    the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members

    DR Congo0.321233

    Chad0.000001

    Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.

  • South America

    0.014626

    the middle country, of 11 measured · 12 members

    Brazil0.707770

    2 share 0.000000

    Highest and lowest reading in South America.

  • South-eastern Asia

    0.012677

    the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members

    Indonesia0.565640

    Timor-Leste0.000045

    Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.

  • Central America

    0.002535

    the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members

    Mexico0.005561

    El Salvador0.000025

    Highest and lowest reading in Central America.

  • Eastern Africa

    0.000754

    the middle country, of 15 measured · 19 members

    Madagascar0.053990

    Seychelles0.000000

    Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.

  • Melanesia

    0.000563

    the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members

    Papua New Guinea0.022795

    New Caledonia0.000229

    Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.

  • Southern Asia

    0.000445

    the middle country, of 5 measured · 9 members

    India0.009323

    Nepal0.000117

    Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.

  • Western Africa

    0.000228

    the middle country, of 13 measured · 16 members

    Liberia0.018853

    Mali0.000002

    Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.

  • Caribbean

    0.000006

    the middle country, of 21 measured · 24 members

    Cuba0.001947

    Aruba0.000000

    Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.

  • Australia and New Zealand

    1 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia.

    Australia0.000336

    Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.

  • Eastern Asia

    1 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: China.

    China0.000038

    Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.

  • Northern America

    1 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: United States.

    United States0.000000

    Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.

03The whole field at once

The spread

100 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 0.000803; a quarter are above 0.007225, and a quarter below 0.000035. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.

00.20.40.6Africa36 comparedDR Congo: 0.321233Madagascar: 0.053990Angola: 0.028579Republic of the Congo: 0.027158Cameroon: 0.022425Liberia: 0.018853Côte d’Ivoire: 0.015329Gabon: 0.012501Sierra Leone: 0.009619Nigeria: 0.009309Ghana: 0.007392Central African Republic: 0.003200Uganda: 0.003160Tanzania: 0.003083Equatorial Guinea: 0.002452Ethiopia: 0.001661Kenya: 0.001290Guinea: 0.001129Rwanda: 0.000867Zambia: 0.000757Malawi: 0.000754Mozambique: 0.000306Burkina Faso: 0.000228Burundi: 0.000132Guinea-Bissau: 0.000124South Sudan: 0.000112Comoros: 0.000110Benin: 0.000078Togo: 0.000077Mauritius: 0.000013Senegal: 0.000003Gambia: 0.000003Somalia: 0.000002Mali: 0.000002Chad: 0.000001Seychelles: 0.000000Seychelles 0.000000DR Congo 0.321233Americas41 comparedBrazil: 0.707770Bolivia: 0.222177Peru: 0.181131Ecuador: 0.149462Colombia: 0.097969Venezuela: 0.014626Suriname: 0.007169Guyana: 0.007072Mexico: 0.005561Nicaragua: 0.005353Guatemala: 0.004206Paraguay: 0.004124Honduras: 0.002638Panama: 0.002431Cuba: 0.001947Jamaica: 0.001646Dominican Republic: 0.000969Costa Rica: 0.000937Belize: 0.000849Haiti: 0.000113Bahamas: 0.000096Trinidad and Tobago: 0.000049Puerto Rico: 0.000045El Salvador: 0.000025Montserrat: 0.000021Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 0.000011Cayman Islands: 0.000007Barbados: 0.000006Turks and Caicos Islands: 0.000006Dominica: 0.000006Saint Lucia: 0.000002Grenada: 0.000002Antigua and Barbuda: 0.000001United States Virgin Islands: 0.000001British Virgin Islands: 0.000001Saint Kitts and Nevis: 0.000000Anguilla: 0.000000Aruba: 0.000000Argentina: 0.000000United States: 0.000000Uruguay: 0.000000Argentina 0.000000Brazil 0.707770Asia17 comparedIndonesia: 0.565640Malaysia: 0.070389Laos: 0.032802Vietnam: 0.028788Philippines: 0.014357Myanmar: 0.012677India: 0.009323Cambodia: 0.006186Thailand: 0.002781Sri Lanka: 0.001106Bhutan: 0.000445Bangladesh: 0.000191Nepal: 0.000117Brunei: 0.000090Singapore: 0.000047Timor-Leste: 0.000045China: 0.000038China 0.000038Indonesia 0.565640Oceania6 comparedPapua New Guinea: 0.022795Solomon Islands: 0.001897Fiji: 0.000563Vanuatu: 0.000514Australia: 0.000336New Caledonia: 0.000229New Caledonia 0.000229 · Papua New Guinea 0.022795middle country 0.000803

04All 102 ever measured

Every country

In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Neither end is better: the area cleared grows with the area of forest a country has, so the largest forest countries lead. Read the undisturbed-forest column to see how much forest each figure is set against; many countries on the list hold only a few hectares of this forest type.

The raw table

Showing 25 of 102 countries

  1. BrazilSouth America0.707770
  2. IndonesiaSouth-eastern Asia0.565640
  3. DR CongoMiddle Africa0.321233
  4. BoliviaSouth America0.222177
  5. PeruSouth America0.181131
  6. EcuadorSouth America0.149462
  7. ColombiaSouth America0.097969
  8. MalaysiaSouth-eastern Asia0.070389
  9. MadagascarEastern Africa0.053990
  10. LaosSouth-eastern Asia0.032802
  11. VietnamSouth-eastern Asia0.028788
  12. AngolaMiddle Africa0.028579
  13. Republic of the CongoMiddle Africa0.027158
  14. Papua New GuineaMelanesia0.022795
  15. CameroonMiddle Africa0.022425
  16. LiberiaWestern Africa0.018853
  17. Côte d’IvoireWestern Africa0.015329
  18. VenezuelaSouth America0.014626
  19. PhilippinesSouth-eastern Asia0.014357
  20. MyanmarSouth-eastern Asia0.012677
  21. GabonMiddle Africa0.012501
  22. Sierra LeoneWestern Africa0.009619
  23. IndiaSouthern Asia0.009323
  24. NigeriaWestern Africa0.009309
  25. GhanaWestern Africa0.007392

Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2024 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.

051990–2025 · 36 reference years

Over time

Each point is one year from 1990, all from one release that recalculated the whole series. The newest three years are provisional: until a disturbance has lasted long enough, the maps cannot tell clearing from degradation, so those years move with each release.

00.0250.050.0750.10.12519901995200020052010201520202025AsiaAfricaOceaniaAmericas
  • the middle country
  • the middle half of countries
  • the middle of the 100 countries measured every time
  • each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
YearCountriesMiddle countryMiddle halfMeasured every time
20251000.0008030.000035 – 0.0072250.000803
20241000.0011140.000058 – 0.0250930.001114
20231000.0008530.000056 – 0.0127510.000853
20221000.0005170.000066 – 0.0126830.000517
20211010.0009280.000070 – 0.0141630.001046
20201010.0014300.000143 – 0.0249150.001488
20191010.0016570.000163 – 0.0282460.001696
20181020.0014220.000104 – 0.0236770.001892
20171020.0019200.000124 – 0.0302030.002036
20161020.0025960.000126 – 0.0551990.002843
20151020.0036900.000169 – 0.0490020.004015
20141020.0042040.000166 – 0.0461880.004497
20131020.0049950.000317 – 0.0560880.005566
20121020.0031670.000113 – 0.0372500.003231
20111020.0038240.000109 – 0.0376250.004464
20101020.0029110.000141 – 0.0354350.002946
20091020.0032360.000162 – 0.0271650.003661
20081020.0025690.000115 – 0.0288100.002917
20071020.0021280.000121 – 0.0517340.002331
20061020.0033110.000272 – 0.0418710.003766
20051020.0048760.000305 – 0.0558510.004913
20041020.0042490.000266 – 0.0365200.004704
20031020.0055950.000354 – 0.0543580.006211
20021020.0058500.000220 – 0.0622910.007104
20011020.0083430.000621 – 0.0900670.009010
20001020.0158890.000435 – 0.1206470.016039
19991020.0106410.000244 – 0.0704710.011565
19981020.0051000.000093 – 0.0960870.005220
19971020.0019220.000000 – 0.0427110.002236
19961020.0015990.000000 – 0.0245770.001827
19951020.0012590.000000 – 0.0203440.001372
19941020.0012050.000000 – 0.0188450.001357
19931020.0007150.000000 – 0.0133120.000800
19921020.0006610.000001 – 0.0150820.000845
19911020.0019370.000002 – 0.0207460.002266
19901020.0027500.000046 – 0.0214920.002887

062024 → 2025

Who rose and fell

The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.

Rose most

before → after
  1. Indonesia0.428103 → 0.565640+0.137537
  2. Ecuador0.051222 → 0.149462+0.098240
  3. Peru0.140448 → 0.181131+0.040683
  4. Malaysia0.059811 → 0.070389+0.010578
  5. Gabon0.007503 → 0.012501+0.004999

Fell most

before → after
  1. Brazil2.363882 → 0.707770−1.656112
  2. Bolivia1.276824 → 0.222177−1.054646
  3. DR Congo0.479206 → 0.321233−0.157973
  4. Venezuela0.106403 → 0.014626−0.091776
  5. Laos0.108599 → 0.032802−0.075797

100 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025.

07Across every edition

Tropical deforestation in records

The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.

08The measure

About tropical deforestation

This is the area of tropical moist forest cleared in a country each year, in million hectares, mapped from every Landsat satellite image since 1990 by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. Beside it is the forest degraded — logged, burned or thinned but still standing — which the same maps keep separate.

What the number is: Tropical moist forest deforested in the year (million hectares).

09Where it fits

Connections

Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.

All statistics

In the Country Index

Context, with no vote

This statistic is published in full under Environment & Sustainability, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.

Environment & SustainabilityWhich statistics vote, and why

Moves with

Where tropical deforestation is higher, these tend to be higher too.

  • Tree Cover LossWorld Resources Institute — Global Forest Watch (data: University of Maryland) · 100 countries in commonρ 0.75
  • Hydro Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 80 countries in commonρ 0.61
  • Mangrove AreaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, JAXA, soloEO, Wetlands International, The Nature Conservancy) · 81 countries in commonρ 0.60

Moves against

Where tropical deforestation is higher, these tend to be lower.

Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 219 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.

On the same subject

10Keep reading

Explore further

11Questions

Tropical deforestation: questions and answers

Which country has the highest tropical deforestation?

Brazil, at 0.707770, among the 100 countries compared in 2025.

Which country has the lowest tropical deforestation?

3 countries share the lowest reading, 0.000000, among the 100 compared in 2025, so no single country is named.

How many countries does the Tropical Moist Forest Deforestation cover?

100 in 2025, and 102 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 100 to 102 between editions.

What is the world average tropical deforestation?

This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 100 compared in 2025, the figure was 0.000803.

Is this European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)’s own ranking?

No ranking is shown. European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.

How often is the Tropical Moist Forest Deforestation published?

This site holds 36 reference years, 1990–2025, all recalculated in European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)’s 2026 report on one method — not 36 separate publications.

Where does the data come from, and can I download it?

From European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), under Copernicus free, full and open data (attribution required). From the Joint Research Centre’s own country statistics for its Tropical Moist Forest maps, in million hectares as published. Disputed areas the file lists on their own are not added to any country, and France’s overseas regions are left out. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.

12Method

Sources, method and citation

Source

Tropical Moist Forest Deforestation — European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)

From the Joint Research Centre’s own country statistics for its Tropical Moist Forest maps, in million hectares as published. Disputed areas the file lists on their own are not added to any country, and France’s overseas regions are left out.

Newest edition

Report year 2025Data year 2025

Cite the source as: Vancutsem, C., Achard, F., Pekel, J.-F., Vieilledent, G., Carboni, S., Simonetti, D., Gallego, J., Aragão, L. E. O. C., Nasi, R. (2021). Long-term (1990–2019) monitoring of forest cover changes in the humid tropics. Science Advances 7: eabe1603. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abe1603. Data: JRC Tropical Moist Forest dataset, vFebruary2026 release.

Licence: Copernicus free, full and open data (attribution required), checked 2026-10-03.

The full 2025 table, row for row

How this page reads the numbers

  • No rank or position is shown: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
  • This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
  • A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
  • Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.

The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Tropical deforestation by country: Tropical Moist Forest Deforestation, data from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/tropical-deforestation

Feedback

Feedback

How are we doing?

Two answers are required — a rating and your email. The rest is up to you.