Tree cover loss by dominant driver in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Tree cover loss by dominant driver was 3,294 hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2001–2024
Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 3,294 hectares for tree cover loss by dominant driver in 2024.
The figure is up 24.4% on the previous year and down 42.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss by dominant driver in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 5,973 hectares in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1,788 hectares, in 2003.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 7th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,026 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 2,467 hectares | +21.8% |
| 2003 | 1,788 hectares | -27.5% |
| 2004 | 2,733 hectares | +52.8% |
| 2005 | 3,916 hectares | +43.3% |
| 2006 | 2,825 hectares | -27.9% |
| 2007 | 4,205 hectares | +48.8% |
| 2008 | 3,559 hectares | -15.4% |
| 2009 | 5,551 hectares | +56.0% |
| 2010 | 5,973 hectares | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 3,424 hectares | -42.7% |
| 2012 | 4,286 hectares | +25.2% |
| 2013 | 4,054 hectares | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 5,695 hectares | +40.5% |
| 2015 | 2,511 hectares | -55.9% |
| 2016 | 4,297 hectares | +71.2% |
| 2017 | 4,635 hectares | +7.9% |
| 2018 | 3,529 hectares | -23.9% |
| 2019 | 2,524 hectares | -28.5% |
| 2020 | 3,168 hectares | +25.5% |
| 2021 | 3,113 hectares | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 2,972 hectares | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 2,647 hectares | -10.9% |
| 2024 | 3,294 hectares | +24.4% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 3,294 hectares is above the median for low income countries, which is 36.13 hectares, 91.2× the median. (20 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 3,294 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 168.49 hectares, 19.6× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3,230 hectares | 1,788 hectares | 5,551 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 4,093 hectares | 2,511 hectares | 5,973 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,039 hectares | 2,647 hectares | 3,294 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More reference data data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3528 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.31 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.335 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.31 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.66 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.82 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss by dominant driver in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Tree cover loss by dominant driver in Democratic Republic of Congo was 3,294 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 5,973 hectares in 2010.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,788 hectares in 2003.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for tree cover loss by dominant driver?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 7th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tree cover loss by dominant driver rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tree cover loss by dominant driver. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Tree cover loss due to the expansion and intensification of roads, settlements, urban areas, or other built infrastructure.