Tree cover loss by dominant driver in United States

United States: Tree cover loss by dominant driver was 49,343 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
49,343 hectares
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
1st
of 186 countries
All-time high
120,264 hectares
in 2005
All-time low
36,850 hectares
in 2013
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss by dominant driver in United States, 2001–2024

40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k120.0k2001201220242001: 83.2k hectares2002: 77.2k hectares2003: 71.8k hectares2004: 115.6k hectares2005: 120.3k hectares2006: 119.9k hectares2007: 105.4k hectares2008: 76.1k hectares2009: 47.1k hectares2010: 52.8k hectares2011: 46.3k hectares2012: 53.2k hectares2013: 36.8k hectares2014: 48.2k hectares2015: 46.6k hectares2016: 66.1k hectares2017: 74.8k hectares2018: 61.1k hectares2019: 58.4k hectares2020: 57.3k hectares2021: 58.2k hectares2022: 62.5k hectares2023: 49.1k hectares2024: 49.3k 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 United States stood at 49,343 hectares.

The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss by dominant driver in United States peaked at 120,264 hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 36,850 hectares, in 2013.

That places United States 1st out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 90,729 hectares 47,057 hectares 120,264 hectares 9
2010s 54,440 hectares 36,850 hectares 74,849 hectares 10
2020s 55,273 hectares 49,124 hectares 62,459 hectares 5

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 2 China 36,528 hectares compare
  2. 3 Brazil 5,799 hectares compare
  3. 4 Malaysia 4,931 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More reference data data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss by dominant driver in United States?
Tree cover loss by dominant driver in United States was 49,343 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 United States?
The highest recorded value was 120,264 hectares in 2005.
What is the lowest tree cover loss by dominant driver recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 36,850 hectares in 2013.
How does United States rank for tree cover loss by dominant driver?
United States ranks 1st out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss by dominant driver rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States 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.