Top 10 Countries with the Highest Deforestation Rates

Brazil has the highest deforestation rate in the world. The country lost more than half of its vegetation in the last five years. Every year Brazil is losing 1.78 Mha of its forest. The world is losing around 10 million hectares of forest per year which is equal to the size of Portugal.

In this article, we are going to discuss the top 10 countries with the highest deforestation rates in the world.

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Deforestation Rates

The world has a lot of forests, covering about 31% of all land, which is around 4.06 billion hectares. Here is the list of top 10 countries with the most deforestation :

List of Countries with the Highest Deforestation Rates
Country Name	Deforestation Rate (kha/year)	Total Forest Area (ha)
Brazil	1,780	519,522,000
Australia	662	133.6 million
Mexico	441	64,802,000
United Republic of Tanzania	372	35,257,000
Zimbabwe	309	15,624,000
Argentina	301	33,021,000
Bolivia	289	53 million
Mozambique	219	40.1 million
Sudan	174	69,949,000
Peru	165	73 million

Let’s learn about the state of deforestation in each of these countries in detail.

10. Peru – 165 kha/year

Peru loses around 1100 square miles of its forests due to deforestation every year. The deforestation condition in Peru is getting worse day by day. It is because of a so many reasons like small scale farming, mining, and road construction. Most of the cutting down of trees takes place in the illegal way. Specifically the deforestation happens for illegal logging.

Peru – Deforestation Rate 165 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Peru
Location	Western South America
Forest type	Humid rainforest
Forest area	73 million
Main causes	Forests are cleared for farming, illegal logging, land trafficking, illegal mining, and drug trafficking.

9. Sudan – 174 kha/year

Sudan is suffering from a large scale of deforestation. It is happening because the rates of deforestation is rising rapidly every year. Cutting trees for farming and fuel is causing more deforestation in Sudan. This harms Sudan’s environment, leading to desert-like conditions and soil losing important nutrients because of erosion.

Sudan – Deforestation Rate 174 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Sudan
Location	Northeastern Africa
Forest type	Desert
Forest area	69,949,000
Main causes	Forests are cleared for farming, building roads, and homes. Rural areas rely heavily on wood for energy.

8. Mozambique – 219 kha/year

Mozambique cuts down a lot of trees because of poor farming practices and excessive logging. The country lost a large area of forest and it caused releasing around 93.7 million tons of CO2 into the air. This tree cutting causes problems like more landslides and increased greenhouse gas emissions for Mozambique.

Mozambique – Deforestation Rate 219 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Mozambique
Location	Mozambique Channel
Forest type	A dense deciduous forest
Forest area	40.1 million
Main causes	Forests are cleared for farming, building roads, and homes. Rural areas rely heavily on wood for energy.

7. Bolivia – 289 kha/year

Bolivia’s deforestation rate increased recent years. Bolivia lost about 0.6 million hectares of forest land. The main reason for deforestation in Bolivia is agriculture getting bigger. Every year, Bolivia’s deforestation rate gets higher, causing big environmental problems for the country.

Bolivia – Deforestation Rate 289 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Bolivia
Location	South America
Forest type	Amazon Rainforest
Forest area	53 million
Main causes	Forests are cleared for farming, Cattle ranching, Mechanized agriculture, Small-scale agriculture

6. Argentina – 301 kha/year

About 14% of Argentina was covered by forests. However, in recent times, it has been losing a significant amount of its forest cover due to deforestation. There are several reasons for the increasing rates of deforestation in the country, including changes in climate, soil degradation, and loss of biodiversity. However, the most significant cause is agriculture, particularly the production of soybeans.

Argentina – Deforestation Rate 301 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Argentina
Location	South America
Forest type	Dry forests
Forest area	33,021,000 ha
Main causes	Soybean production, Cattle ranching, Climate variations, Large- and medium-scale mechanized agriculture

5. Zimbabwe – 309 kha/year

Every year, Zimbabwe loses a significant amount of forest. It is approximately 0.26 million hectares per yeaf. About 20% of this forest loss happens due to the expansion of the tobacco industry in the country. Tobacco farming is crucial for Zimbabwe’s economy. However, this deforestation also results in increased CO2 emissions, which negatively impacts the environment.

Zimbabwe – Deforestation Rate 309 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Zimbabwe
Location	South Africa
Forest type	Savanna
Forest area	15,624,000 ha
Main causes	Forests are cleared for farming, building roads, and homes. Rural areas rely heavily on wood for energy.

4. United Republic of Tanzania – 372 kha/year

United Republic of Tanzania cut down the trees majorly for farming which is about 80% of the total forest. In total, the country has cut down about 6.18 million hectares of forests. Other reasons for deforestation in Tanzania include making charcoal in harmful ways, trading wood illegally, etc.

United Republic of Tanzania – Deforestation Rate 372 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	United Republic of Tanzania
Location	East Africa
Forest type	Deciduous miombo woodlands
Forest area	35,257,000 ha
Main causes	Agriculture, Charcoal production, Shifting cultivation, Livestock grazing

3. Mexico – 441 kha/year

Every year, Mexico cuts down its forest about 0.12 million acres of land for farming. This means they remove trees and plants to make space for growing crops. But this tree cutting causes problems. It can lead to landslides and flooding when it rains heavily because the roots of trees help keep the soil in place. Also, when trees are cut down, they release carbon dioxide gas into the air. This gas contributes to climate change and makes the climate more warm. So, cutting down trees not only harms the local environment but also increases the possibility of global warming.

Mexico – Deforestation Rate 441 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Mexico
Location	Atlantic slope
Forest type	Tropical forests
Forest area	64,802,000 ha
Main causes	Agricultural expansion, Cattle ranching, Illegal logging, Urbanization, Timber extraction, Forest fires

2. Australia – 662 kha/year

Australia is dealing with several issues because of tree cutting, including biodiversity loss, and carbon emissions. Although Australia has many rainforests and forests with lots of trees, companies there cut down many trees every year. Between 2015 and 2020, about 0.4 million hectares of forests were destroyed in Australia.

Australia – Deforestation Rate 662 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Australia
Location	East Gippsland, Victoria, abuts the Errinundra National Park
Forest type	Native forests
Forest area	133.6 million ha
Main causes	Agriculture, logging, urban development, wildfires

1. Brazil – 1,780 kha/year

Brazil has the highest deforestation rate in the world. This happens mainly because people clear land for farming and raising animals. Many forests in Brazil have been destroyed because of this. Although the rate of cutting down trees is slowing down each year, Brazil still holds the top spot for the most deforestation in the world.

Brazil – Deforestation Rate 1,780 kha/year
Category	Information
Country	Brazil
Location	Amazon Basin
Forest type	Rainforest
Forest area	519,522,000 ha
Main causes	Cattle ranching, logging, climate change, mining, infrastructure development

People Also Read:

• Causes, Effects and Control of Deforestation
• What is Deforestation? Definition, Causes, Effects

FAQs on Top 10 Countries with the Highest Deforestation Rates

Which country has the highest deforestation rate?

Nigeria has the world’s highest deforestation rate of primary forests. It has lost more than half of its primary forest in the last five years.

Which country has the least deforestation?

Nigeria, Indonesia and North Korea have the world’s highest rates of deforestation while China and the United States, the top two greenhouse gas polluters, have the lowest, a global ranking released on Thursday shows.

Which country has the biggest tropical deforestation problem?

As the country with the most primary rainforest to begin with, Brazil has consistently topped the list for most primary forest loss.

Which is the 1st country of the world to put a ban on deforestation?

As per a newly-announced move, Norway is now the first country in the world to ban deforestation.

Which is the oldest forest in the world?

Scientists have discovered the world’s oldest forest in an abandoned quarry near Cairo, New York. The 385-million-year-old rocks contain the fossilized woody roots of dozens of ancient trees.