Tree cover loss in Canada

Canada: Tree cover loss was 5.16 million hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
5.16 million hectares
Change on year
down 39.7%
World rank
2nd
of 197 countries
All-time high
8.57 million hectares
in 2023
All-time low
1.19 million hectares
in 2020
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss in Canada, 2001–2024

2.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M2001201220242001: 1.3M hectares2002: 2.3M hectares2003: 1.6M hectares2004: 2.7M hectares2005: 2.9M hectares2006: 2.4M hectares2007: 2.1M hectares2008: 1.9M hectares2009: 1.5M hectares2010: 2.1M hectares2011: 2.2M hectares2012: 2.5M hectares2013: 2.8M hectares2014: 2.6M hectares2015: 2.7M hectares2016: 2.1M hectares2017: 2.6M hectares2018: 2.1M hectares2019: 2.2M hectares2020: 1.2M hectares2021: 2.5M hectares2022: 2.3M hectares2023: 8.6M hectares2024: 5.2M 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 in Canada is 5.16 million hectares, measured in 2024.

The figure is down 39.7% on the previous year and up 96.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss in Canada peaked at 8.57 million hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.19 million hectares, in 2020.

That places Canada 2nd out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.10 million hectares 1.35 million hectares 2.91 million hectares 9
2010s 2.39 million hectares 2.08 million hectares 2.79 million hectares 10
2020s 3.95 million hectares 1.19 million hectares 8.57 million hectares 5

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 1 Russia 5.18 million hectares compare
  2. 3 Brazil 4.39 million hectares compare
  3. 4 Bolivia 1.81 million hectares compare
  4. 5 United States 1.59 million hectares compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss in Canada?
Tree cover loss in Canada was 5.16 million 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 Canada?
The highest recorded value was 8.57 million hectares in 2023.
What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 1.19 million hectares in 2020.
How does Canada rank for tree cover loss?
Canada ranks 2nd out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 96.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada 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.