Tree cover loss in Australia

Australia: Tree cover loss was 180,504 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
180,504 hectares
Change on year
down 5.3%
World rank
24th
of 197 countries
All-time high
2.36 million hectares
in 2020
All-time low
118,634 hectares
in 2022
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss in Australia, 2001–2024

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M2001201220242001: 217.7k hectares2002: 311.1k hectares2003: 371.7k hectares2004: 123.5k hectares2005: 175.7k hectares2006: 185.0k hectares2007: 370.8k hectares2008: 204.5k hectares2009: 202.3k hectares2010: 289.1k hectares2011: 120.1k hectares2012: 137.9k hectares2013: 258.4k hectares2014: 279.9k hectares2015: 260.7k hectares2016: 430.4k hectares2017: 236.4k hectares2018: 250.4k hectares2019: 1.7M hectares2020: 2.4M hectares2021: 260.5k hectares2022: 118.6k hectares2023: 190.6k hectares2024: 180.5k hectares

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

Analysis

Australia recorded 180,504 hectares for tree cover loss in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.3% on the previous year and down 35.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss in Australia peaked at 2.36 million hectares in 2020 and was at its lowest, 118,634 hectares, in 2022.

That places Australia 24th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 240,261 hectares 123,487 hectares 371,664 hectares 9
2010s 392,373 hectares 120,062 hectares 1.66 million hectares 10
2020s 621,201 hectares 118,634 hectares 2.36 million hectares 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 21 Tanzania 225,553 hectares compare
  2. 22 Colombia 212,750 hectares compare
  3. 23 Argentina 202,720 hectares compare
  4. 25 Cameroon 178,796 hectares compare
  5. 26 Liberia 166,485 hectares compare
  6. 27 Cote d'Ivoire 165,110 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss in Australia?
Tree cover loss in Australia was 180,504 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 2.36 million hectares in 2020.
What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 118,634 hectares in 2022.
How does Australia rank for tree cover loss?
Australia ranks 24th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 35.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia 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. 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
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
197 places, 4,728 data points, 2001–2024
Last refreshed

Tree cover loss driven by all causes.