Tree cover loss by dominant driver in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Tree cover loss by dominant driver was 213.06 hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
213.06 hectares
Change on year
up 15.8%
World rank
66th
of 186 countries
All-time high
824.17 hectares
in 2016
All-time low
123.17 hectares
in 2003
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss by dominant driver in Sri Lanka, 2001–2024

2004006008002001201220242001: 167.3 hectares2002: 155.5 hectares2003: 123.2 hectares2004: 279 hectares2005: 399.6 hectares2006: 686 hectares2007: 552.7 hectares2008: 388.1 hectares2009: 537.4 hectares2010: 358.1 hectares2011: 604.1 hectares2012: 522.2 hectares2013: 316.6 hectares2014: 402.6 hectares2015: 206.8 hectares2016: 824.2 hectares2017: 710 hectares2018: 663.3 hectares2019: 342.5 hectares2020: 242.9 hectares2021: 375.3 hectares2022: 236.1 hectares2023: 184 hectares2024: 213.1 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 Sri Lanka stood at 213.06 hectares.

The figure is up 15.8% on the previous year and down 47.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss by dominant driver in Sri Lanka peaked at 824.17 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 123.17 hectares, in 2003.

That places Sri Lanka 66th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 365.41 hectares 123.17 hectares 685.95 hectares 9
2010s 495.04 hectares 206.78 hectares 824.17 hectares 10
2020s 250.27 hectares 183.98 hectares 375.32 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 63 Central African Republic 221.72 hectares compare
  2. 64 Croatia 216.18 hectares compare
  3. 65 Belarus 215.41 hectares compare
  4. 67 Suriname 212.65 hectares compare
  5. 68 Switzerland 203.72 hectares compare
  6. 69 Trinidad and Tobago 188.76 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss by dominant driver in Sri Lanka?
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in Sri Lanka was 213.06 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 Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 824.17 hectares in 2016.
What is the lowest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 123.17 hectares in 2003.
How does Sri Lanka rank for tree cover loss by dominant driver?
Sri Lanka ranks 66th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss by dominant driver rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 47.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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.