Top 10 Lists

Last Updated on April 4, 2024

These lists provide a deeper exploration of forest trends at the country level. We currently provide two rankings: countries with the most tree cover loss and countries in the humid tropics with the most primary forest loss. These rankings correspond to the Forest Loss Indicator and the Primary Forest Loss Indicator, respectively. We aim to add more rankings over time corresponding to additional indicators, including tree cover gain and net tree cover change.  

Context is extremely important to understanding why certain countries feature on these lists and what their ranking means. Appearing on a top 10 list does not necessarily indicate a problem. To the extent possible, these lists provide additional context to help readers draw useful conclusions about what is happening in each country. 

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The Top 10 Countries for Total Tree Cover Loss from 2001 to 2023

This list reveals some of the most important countries to target for forest conservation because they represent the largest total areas of tree cover loss globally. As one might expect, the countries with the most forests also tend to be the countries with the most tree cover loss. However, not all tree cover loss indicates deforestation because some tree cover loss (e.g., related to commercial forestry activities) is temporary in nature when forests are allowed to regrow. As such, this list also provides context about the drivers of tree cover loss in a given country and indicates the percentage of tree cover loss that is likely to be permanent. Countries with a high percentage of permanent loss could be viewed as priorities for efforts to reduce deforestation. Countries with a high percentage of temporary loss could be viewed as priorities for promoting sustainable forest management

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Top 10 countries for global tree cover loss, 2001-2023<fn>Permanent loss is defined as tree cover tree cover loss due to commodity-driven deforestation, urbanization, or shifting agriculture within primary forests. See <a href="/gfr/data-and-methods#forestchange1">Data and Methods</a> for more information.</fn>

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The Top 10 Countries for Humid Tropical Primary Forest Loss from 2002 to 2023

This list indicates the tropical countries with the largest area of loss of humid tropical primary forests, areas of mature rainforest that are especially important for biodiversity and carbon storage. Primary forest loss includes both deforestation, such as the conversion of forests to pasture or agriculture, and some forms of forest degradation caused by, for example, understory forest fires. However, given that primary forests can take decades or even centuries to recover, even forest degradation events are of utmost concern. As such, this list represents some of the countries that are of greatest importance for conservation of humid tropical forests.  

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Top 10 countries for humid tropical primary forest loss, 2002-2023

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Country Reviews

 

Learn more about forest trends in each of the countries featured in the lists above.

Australia

In Australia, the main drivers of tree cover loss are forestry and wildfire, with forestry activity typically occurring along the coast and wildfire in the interior. Wildfires in late 2019 and early 2020 resulted in a massive spike in tree cover loss in the country. Although Australia’s eucalyptus-dominated woodlands are adapted to cycles of fire, the severity and scale of the fires, coupled with a years-long drought, may result in long-term damage to the country’s forests. 

Australia tree cover loss 2001-2023

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Australia, 2001-2023

 
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Bolivia

Tree cover loss in Bolivia has mostly been driven by commodity production, particularly the expansion of large-scale agriculture and cattle ranching in lowland forests.  Fires also play a major role in Bolivian forests, with large burn scars visible in the tree cover loss data during the strong fire seasons of 2004–5 and 2010 and in several recent years.  In 2023, fires made up nearly half of Bolivia’s tree cover loss. Fires in Bolivia are usually started by humans to clear land for agriculture and pasture, but can spread out of control into forested areas under dry, windy conditions. 

Forest loss in Bolivia

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Bolivia, 2001-2023

 
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Brazil

The majority of tree cover loss in Brazil is related to commodity production, especially for pastureland and cropland.  In the early 2000s, declines in tree cover loss reflect Brazil’s initiatives to reduce deforestation, such as an increased emphasis on law enforcement, near-real-time forest monitoring, and supply chain interventions.  Brazil's tree cover loss began to increase again in the early 2010s until a sharp drop in 2023.  The uptick in tree cover loss in 2016 and 2017 is primarily due to understory forest fires in the Amazon,  generally started by people to prepare land for agriculture and pasture.

Forest loss in Brazil 

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Brazil, 2001-2023

 
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Cambodia

The majority of Cambodia’s tree cover loss is related to commodity production, and it has been particularly rapid as part of large-scale land acquisitions in the country known as economic land concessions.  Previous studies have shown that the expansion of rubber plantations is responsible for around a quarter of Cambodia’s deforestation and is highly correlated to rubber prices, which peaked in 2011.  Since 2001, Cambodia has lost 34 percent of its primary forests, some of the most important areas for biodiversity and carbon storage, which is the highest rate of primary forest loss of any tropical country.  

Forest loss in Cambodia

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Cambodia, 2001-2023

 
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Canada

Wildfire is the main driver of tree cover loss in Canada, particularly in the north of the country, followed by forestry, mostly to the south. These two drivers are less likely to entail permanent losses to the forest, so much of the loss is likely to be offset by regrowth.  Fires are a natural part of the boreal forest ecosystem, but they can cause extensive economic damage, such as the 2016 Fort McMurray forest fire that was estimated to cause nearly C$10 billion in insurance losses,  and are likely to increase in frequency due to climate change.  In 2023, Canada’s record-breaking fire season resulted in an unprecedented level of tree cover loss, with five times more loss due to fire than the year before. 

Canada tree cover loss, 2001-2023

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Canada, 2001-2023

 
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China

The majority of China’s tree cover loss is related to forestry, which suggests that much of the area experiencing losses will eventually recover. China has implemented a massive reforestation campaign since the late 1990s, and many studies have indicated a large increase in tree cover as a result.  However, there are some concerns that this increase has been made up of monoculture tree plantations and native forest cover has decreased. 

China tree cover loss, 2001-2023

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in China, 2001-2023

 
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Colombia

Tree cover loss in Colombia is primarily driven by shifting agriculture and commodity production. Colombia experienced a dramatic uptick in tree cover loss around 2016, particularly in the country’s deforestation frontier in the Amazon.  The increase is likely linked to the peace process in Colombia; areas of the Amazon experienced a power vacuum after the demobilization of the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia; FARC), which allowed for rapid deforestation.  In 2023, tree cover loss returned to lower levels, coinciding with new peace talks with remaining armed groups. 

Forest loss in Colombia

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Colombia, 2001-2023

 
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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Most tree cover loss in the country is linked to small-scale agriculture, generally as part of the agricultural mosaic known as the “rural complex.”  Population growth and displacement due to conflict may play a role in increasing tree cover loss in the country;  however, the increase shown in the graph around 2013 is likely due to inconsistencies in the tree cover loss data, which may be better able to detect small-scale clearings in recent years due to better satellite data.  

Forest loss in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2001-2023

 
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Indonesia

In Indonesia, most tree cover loss is associated with commodity production, especially large-scale timber and oil palm plantations.  Human-induced fires related to agricultural activity also caused large-scale forest destruction  and led to harmful smog  and carbon emissions.  Fires were particularly prevalent during the El Niño events of 1997–98 and 2015–16. Indonesia saw a large reduction in tree cover loss starting in 2017, likely related to government policies to prevent clearing and fires. 

Forest loss in Indonesia

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Indonesia, 2001-2023

 
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Laos

In Laos, the majority of tree cover loss is related to agricultural production and forestry activity. Over 60% of the population lives in rural villages, where most people rely on subsistence agriculture as their main source of livelihood.  In recent years, the increase in loss has been driven by the country’s poor economic conditions  and foreign investment in Laos’s agriculture sector,  resulting in the expansion of agricultural land.  

 

Forest loss in Laos  

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Laos, 2001-2023 

 
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Malaysia

The majority of tree cover loss in Malaysia is due to commodity production; however, more than half of the loss in recent years has occurred inside existing plantations, such as oil palm and rubber,  and likely represents the rotational cycles of those tree crops. Outside of those areas, the conversion of forests to industrial plantations and high-impact logging are major contributors to tree cover loss.  Malaysia has seen major declines in primary forest loss in recent years, though it has lost nearly a fifth of its primary forest since 2001.  

Forest loss in Malaysia

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Malaysia, 2001-2023

 
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Paraguay

Most of Paraguay’s tree cover loss is linked to commodity production. In the east of the country, agricultural expansion has led to very little remaining forest cover.  The country passed the Zero-Deforestation Law in 2004 prohibiting further clearing of native forests in eastern Paraguay, which has largely curbed deforestation in this region.  That has not been the case for deforestation in the Chaco of western Paraguay,  where expansion of cattle ranching is the main driver.  Paraguay has lost 33 percent of its humid tropical primary forest cover (mostly located in the east of the country) since 2001, which is the second-highest rate of primary forest loss of any country in the tropics. 

Forest loss in Paraguay

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Paraguay, 2001-2023

 
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Peru

Forest loss in Peru tends to be smaller scale than in other countries in the Amazon, with most attributed to shifting agriculture. Three-quarters of forest loss occurs in areas smaller than five hectares.   Tree cover loss from the roads and infrastructure associated with logging is also prevalent throughout the Peruvian Amazon, where illegal logging is widespread.  Gold mining and oil palm plantations are common contributors to tree cover loss in parts of the country, with most loss occurring in the southern Amazon and the central Amazon, respectively.   

 

Forest loss in Peru  

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Peru, 2001-2023

 
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Russia

Nearly three-quarters of all tree cover loss in Russia from 2001 to 2023 was driven by wildfires, with spikes in tree cover loss generally corresponding to spikes in fire activity.  The balance of tree cover loss was due mainly to forestry activities. Fires in Russia are a natural part of boreal forest dynamics, though some research suggests fires will become more severe due to climate change — as may have been the case for forest fires in Siberia in 2020.  Despite having more tree cover loss than any other country (84 million hectares [Mha], an area nearly the size of Pakistan), some studies suggest that Russia’s net forest area has actually increased in recent decades, possibly related to forest regrowth on farmland abandoned after the collapse of the Soviet Union.  

Russia tree cover loss, 2001-2023

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in Russia, 2001-2023

 
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United States

Much of the tree cover loss in the United States is linked to forestry, with most of the loss areas likely to regenerate naturally or through direct reseeding or other silvicultural practices. The United States also has more tree cover loss driven by urbanization than any other country in the world, even though it only accounts for 4 percent of U.S. total loss. 

United States tree cover loss, 2001-2023

 

Dominant drivers of tree cover loss in the United States, 2001-2023

 
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{"Glossary":{"51":{"name":"agricultural tree crops","description":"Trees cultivated for their food, cultural, or economic values. These include oil palm, rubber, cocoa, cashew, mango, oranges (citrus), plantain, banana, and coconut.\r\n"},"141":{"name":"agroforestry","description":"A diversified set of agricultural or agropastoral production systems that integrate trees in the agricultural landscape.\r\n"},"101":{"name":"albedo","description":"The ability of surfaces to reflect sunlight.\u0026nbsp;Light-colored surfaces return a large part of the sunrays back to the atmosphere (high albedo). Dark surfaces absorb the rays from the sun (low albedo).\r\n"},"94":{"name":"biodiversity intactness","description":"The proportion and abundance of a location\u0027s original forest community (number of species and individuals) that remain.\u0026nbsp;\r\n"},"95":{"name":"biodiversity significance","description":"The importance of an area for the persistence of forest-dependent species based on range rarity.\r\n"},"142":{"name":"boundary plantings","description":"Trees planted along boundaries or property lines to mark them well.\r\n"},"98":{"name":"carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)","description":"Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a measure used to aggregate emissions from various greenhouse gases (GHGs) on the basis of their 100-year global warming potentials by equating non-CO2 GHGs to the equivalent amount of CO2.\r\n"},"99":{"name":"CO2e","description":"Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a measure used to aggregate emissions from various greenhouse gases (GHGs) on the basis of their 100-year global warming potentials by equating non-CO2 GHGs to the equivalent amount of CO2.\r\n"},"1":{"name":"deforestation","description":"The change from forest to another land cover or land use, such as forest to plantation or forest to urban area.\r\n"},"77":{"name":"deforested","description":"The change from forest to another land cover or land use, such as forest to plantation or forest to urban area.\r\n"},"76":{"name":"degradation","description":"The reduction in a forest\u2019s ability to perform ecosystem services, such as carbon storage and water regulation, due to natural and anthropogenic changes.\r\n"},"75":{"name":"degraded","description":"The reduction in a forest\u2019s ability to perform ecosystem services, such as carbon storage and water regulation, due to natural and anthropogenic changes.\r\n"},"79":{"name":"disturbances","description":"A discrete event that changes the structure of a forest ecosystem.\r\n"},"68":{"name":"disturbed","description":"A discrete event that changes the structure of a forest ecosystem.\r\n"},"65":{"name":"driver of tree cover loss","description":"The direct cause of forest disturbance.\r\n"},"70":{"name":"drivers of loss","description":"The direct cause of forest disturbance.\r\n"},"81":{"name":"drivers of tree cover loss","description":"The direct cause of forest disturbance.\r\n"},"102":{"name":"evapotranspiration","description":"When solar energy hitting a forest converts liquid water into water vapor (carrying energy as latent heat) through evaporation and transpiration.\r\n"},"2":{"name":"forest","description":"Forests include tree cover greater than 30 percent tree canopy density and greater than 5 meters in height as mapped at a 30-meter Landsat pixel scale.\r\n"},"3":{"name":"forest concession","description":"A legal agreement allowing an entity the right to manage a public forest for production purposes.\r\n"},"90":{"name":"forest concessions","description":"A legal agreement allowing an entity the right to manage a public forest for production purposes.\r\n"},"53":{"name":"forest degradation","description":"The reduction in a forest\u2019s ability to perform ecosystem services, such as carbon storage and water regulation, due to natural and anthropogenic changes.\r\n"},"54":{"name":"forest disturbance","description":"A discrete event that changes the structure of a forest ecosystem.\r\n"},"100":{"name":"forest disturbances","description":"A discrete event that changes the structure of a forest ecosystem.\r\n"},"5":{"name":"forest fragmentation","description":"The breaking of large, contiguous forests into smaller pieces, with other land cover types interspersed.\r\n"},"6":{"name":"forest management plan","description":"A plan that documents the stewardship and use of forests and other wooded land to meet environmental, economic, social, and cultural objectives. 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Tree cover gain may indicate a number of potential activities, including natural forest growth or the crop rotation cycle of tree plantations.\r\n"},"143":{"name":"global land squeeze","description":"Pressure on finite land resources to produce food, feed and fuel for a growing human population while also sustaining biodiversity and providing ecosystem services.\r\n"},"7":{"name":"hectare","description":"One hectare equals 100 square meters, 2.47 acres, or 0.01 square kilometers and is about the size of a rugby field. A football pitch is slightly smaller than a hectare (pitches are between 0.62 and 0.82 hectares).\r\n"},"66":{"name":"hectares","description":"One hectare equals 100 square meters, 2.47 acres, or 0.01 square kilometers and is about the size of a rugby field. A football pitch is slightly smaller than a hectare (pitches are between 0.62 and 0.82 hectares).\r\n"},"67":{"name":"intact","description":"A forest that contains no signs of human activity or habitat fragmentation as determined by remote sensing images and is large enough to maintain all native biological biodiversity.\r\n"},"78":{"name":"intact forest","description":"A forest that contains no signs of human activity or habitat fragmentation as determined by remote sensing images and is large enough to maintain all native biological biodiversity.\r\n"},"8":{"name":"intact forests","description":"A forest that contains no signs of human activity or habitat fragmentation as determined by remote sensing images and is large enough to maintain all native biological biodiversity.\r\n"},"55":{"name":"land and environmental defenders","description":"People who peacefully promote and protect rights related to land and\/or the environment.\r\n"},"9":{"name":"loss driver","description":"The direct cause of forest disturbance.\r\n"},"10":{"name":"low tree canopy density","description":"Less than 30 percent tree canopy density.\r\n"},"84":{"name":"managed forest concession","description":"Areas where governments have given rights to private companies to harvest timber and other wood products from natural forests on public lands.\r\n"},"83":{"name":"managed forest concession maps for nine countries","description":"Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Liberia, and the Republic of the Congo\r\n"},"104":{"name":"managed natural forests","description":"Naturally regenerated forests with signs of management, including logging, clear cuts, etc.\r\n"},"91":{"name":"megacities","description":"A city with more than 10 million people.\r\n"},"57":{"name":"megacity","description":"A city with more than 10 million people."},"56":{"name":"mosaic restoration","description":"Restoration that integrates trees into mixed-use landscapes, such as agricultural lands and settlements, where trees can support people through improved water quality, increased soil fertility, and other ecosystem services. This type of restoration is more likely in deforested or degraded forest landscapes with moderate population density (10\u2013100 people per square kilometer). "},"86":{"name":"natural","description":"A forest that is grown without human intervention.\r\n"},"12":{"name":"natural forest","description":"A forest that is grown without human intervention.\r\n"},"63":{"name":"natural forests","description":"A forest that is grown without human intervention.\r\n"},"144":{"name":"open canopy systems","description":"Individual tree crowns that do not overlap to form a continuous canopy layer.\r\n"},"82":{"name":"persistent gain","description":"Forests that have experienced one gain event from 2001 to 2016.\r\n"},"13":{"name":"persistent loss and gain","description":"Forests that have experienced one loss or one gain event from 2001 to 2016."},"97":{"name":"plantation","description":"An area in which trees have been planted, generally for commercial purposes.\u0026nbsp;\r\n"},"93":{"name":"plantations","description":"An area in which trees have been planted, generally for commercial purposes.\u0026nbsp;\r\n"},"88":{"name":"planted","description":"A forest composed of trees that have been deliberately planted and\/or seeded by humans.\r\n"},"14":{"name":"planted forest","description":"Stand of planted trees \u2014 other than tree crops \u2014 grown for wood and wood fiber production or for ecosystem protection against wind and\/or soil erosion.\r\n"},"73":{"name":"planted forests","description":"Stand of planted trees \u2014 other than tree crops \u2014 grown for wood and wood fiber production or for ecosystem protection against wind and\/or soil erosion."},"148":{"name":"planted trees","description":"Stand of trees established through planting, including both planted forest and tree crops."},"149":{"name":"Planted trees","description":"Stand of trees established through planting, including both planted forest and tree crops."},"15":{"name":"primary forest","description":"Old-growth forests that are typically high in carbon stock and rich in biodiversity. The GFR uses a humid tropical primary rainforest data set, representing forests in the humid tropics that have not been cleared in recent years.\r\n"},"64":{"name":"primary forests","description":"Old-growth forests that are typically high in carbon stock and rich in biodiversity. 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"},"96":{"name":"shifting agriculture","description":"Temporary loss or permanent deforestation due to small- and medium-scale agriculture.\r\n"},"103":{"name":"surface roughness","description":"Surface roughness of forests creates\u0026nbsp;turbulence that slows near-surface winds and cools the land as it lifts heat from low-albedo leaves and moisture from evapotranspiration high into the atmosphere and slows otherwise-drying winds. \r\n"},"17":{"name":"tree cover","description":"All vegetation greater than five meters in height and may take the form of natural forests or plantations across a range of canopy densities. Unless otherwise specified, the GFR uses greater than 30 percent tree canopy density for calculations.\r\n"},"71":{"name":"tree cover canopy density is low","description":"Less than 30 percent tree canopy density.\r\n"},"60":{"name":"tree cover gain","description":"The establishment of tree canopy in an area that previously had no tree cover. Tree cover gain may indicate a number of potential activities, including natural forest growth or the crop rotation cycle of tree plantations.\u0026nbsp;As such, tree cover gain does not equate to restoration.\r\n"},"18":{"name":"tree cover loss","description":"The removal or mortality of tree cover, which can be due to a variety of factors, including mechanical harvesting, fire, disease, or storm damage. As such, loss does not equate to deforestation.\r\n"},"150":{"name":"tree crops","description":"Stand of perennial trees that produce agricultural products, such as rubber, oil palm, coffee, coconut, cocoa and orchards."},"19":{"name":"tree plantation","description":"An agricultural plantation of fast-growing tree species on short rotations for the production of timber, pulp, or fruit.\r\n"},"72":{"name":"tree plantations","description":"An agricultural plantation of fast-growing tree species on short rotations for the production of timber, pulp, or fruit.\r\n"},"85":{"name":"trees outside forests","description":"Trees found in urban areas, alongside roads, or within agricultural land\u0026nbsp;are often referred to as Trees Outside Forests (TOF).\u202f\r\n"},"151":{"name":"unmanaged","description":"Naturally regenerated forests without any signs of management, including primary forest."},"105":{"name":"unmanaged natural forests","description":"Naturally regenerated forests without any signs of management, including primary forest.\r\n"}}}

Citation

“Top 10 Lists.” Global Forest Review, updated April 4, 2024. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. Available online at https://research.wri.org/gfr/top-ten-lists.