Tree cover loss by dominant driver in India

India: Tree cover loss by dominant driver was 1,746 hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
1,746 hectares
Change on year
down 23.2%
World rank
14th
of 186 countries
All-time high
2,272 hectares
in 2023
All-time low
392.46 hectares
in 2002
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss by dominant driver in India, 2001–2024

5001.0k1.5k2.0k2.5k2001201220242001: 418.5 hectares2002: 392.5 hectares2003: 451.5 hectares2004: 946.7 hectares2005: 893.6 hectares2006: 1.3k hectares2007: 1.8k hectares2008: 1.7k hectares2009: 1.5k hectares2010: 1.1k hectares2011: 2.1k hectares2012: 1.7k hectares2013: 595.5 hectares2014: 952.2 hectares2015: 677.6 hectares2016: 1.7k hectares2017: 1.6k hectares2018: 1.2k hectares2019: 1.3k hectares2020: 1.3k hectares2021: 1.3k hectares2022: 1.6k hectares2023: 2.3k hectares2024: 1.7k hectares

Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2024, tree cover loss by dominant driver in India stood at 1,746 hectares.

That represents a change of down 23.2% on the previous year and up 83.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss by dominant driver in India peaked at 2,272 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 392.46 hectares, in 2002.

That places India 14th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1,038 hectares 392.46 hectares 1,755 hectares 9
2010s 1,306 hectares 595.5 hectares 2,121 hectares 10
2020s 1,641 hectares 1,302 hectares 2,272 hectares 5

Countries ranked near India

  1. 11 Mexico 2,111 hectares compare
  2. 12 Japan 2,074 hectares compare
  3. 13 Cote d'Ivoire 1,939 hectares compare
  4. 15 South Korea 1,422 hectares compare
  5. 16 Thailand 1,361 hectares compare
  6. 17 Sweden 1,301 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss by dominant driver in India?
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in India was 1,746 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 2,272 hectares in 2023.
What is the lowest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 392.46 hectares in 2002.
How does India rank for tree cover loss by dominant driver?
India ranks 14th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss by dominant driver rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 83.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India 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

Indicator
Tree cover loss by dominant driver
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 4,195 data points, 2001–2024
Last refreshed

Tree cover loss due to the expansion and intensification of roads, settlements, urban areas, or other built infrastructure.