Tree cover loss by dominant driver in New Zealand

New Zealand: Tree cover loss by dominant driver was 99.42 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
99.42 hectares
Change on year
down 31.8%
World rank
86th
of 186 countries
All-time high
459.86 hectares
in 2005
All-time low
99.42 hectares
in 2024
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss by dominant driver in New Zealand, 2001–2024

1002003004005002001201220242001: 158.8 hectares2002: 235 hectares2003: 274.7 hectares2004: 409.2 hectares2005: 459.9 hectares2006: 412.7 hectares2007: 437.2 hectares2008: 261.7 hectares2009: 241 hectares2010: 258.3 hectares2011: 167.3 hectares2012: 279.4 hectares2013: 226.5 hectares2014: 242.9 hectares2015: 177.4 hectares2016: 312.9 hectares2017: 274.9 hectares2018: 215.6 hectares2019: 149.5 hectares2020: 140.2 hectares2021: 163.9 hectares2022: 187.2 hectares2023: 145.8 hectares2024: 99.4 hectares

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for tree cover loss by dominant driver in New Zealand is 99.42 hectares, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of down 31.8% on the previous year and down 59.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss by dominant driver in New Zealand peaked at 459.86 hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 99.42 hectares, in 2024.

New Zealand ranks 86th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 321.12 hectares 158.76 hectares 459.86 hectares 9
2010s 230.49 hectares 149.48 hectares 312.91 hectares 10
2020s 147.29 hectares 99.42 hectares 187.16 hectares 5

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 83 Venezuela 105.54 hectares compare
  2. 84 Bahamas 101.58 hectares compare
  3. 85 Romania 99.55 hectares compare
  4. 87 Serbia 98.45 hectares compare
  5. 88 Latvia 98.43 hectares compare
  6. 89 Netherlands 97.53 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More reference data data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss by dominant driver in New Zealand?
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in New Zealand was 99.42 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 New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 459.86 hectares in 2005.
What is the lowest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 99.42 hectares in 2024.
How does New Zealand rank for tree cover loss by dominant driver?
New Zealand ranks 86th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss by dominant driver rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 59.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this New Zealand 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.