China vs United States: Tree cover loss
China
673,569 hectares
in 2024
United States
1.59 million hectares
in 2024
China rank
8th
United States rank
5th
Tree cover loss over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 1.59 million hectares against 673,569 hectares in China, a difference of 921,031 hectares.
That makes United States's figure about 2.4 times China's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 8th and United States ranks 5th of 197 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 459,864 hectares | 2.21 million hectares | 1.75 million hectares | United States |
| 2010s | 568,749 hectares | 2.03 million hectares | 1.46 million hectares | United States |
| 2020s | 568,083 hectares | 1.84 million hectares | 1.27 million hectares | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher tree cover loss, China or United States?
- United States, at 1.59 million hectares against 673,569 hectares in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in tree cover loss between China and United States?
- 921,031 hectares, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do China and United States rank globally for tree cover loss?
- China ranks 8th and United States ranks 5th of 197 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Tree cover loss. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Tree cover loss driven by all causes.