Tree cover loss in China

China: Tree cover loss was 673,569 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
673,569
Change on year
up 11.9%
World rank
8th
of 197 countries
All-time high
731,528
in 2008
All-time low
223,242
in 2001
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss in China, 2001–2024

200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k2001201220242001: 223.2k2002: 242.3k2003: 258.1k2004: 494.8k2005: 378.4k2006: 569.5k2007: 646.8k2008: 731.5k2009: 594.1k2010: 621.8k2011: 593.3k2012: 595.9k2013: 437.0k2014: 528.2k2015: 488.8k2016: 716.8k2017: 642.2k2018: 568.3k2019: 495.3k2020: 420.5k2021: 534.6k2022: 609.9k2023: 601.9k2024: 673.6k

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, tree cover loss in China stood at 673,569.

The figure is up 11.9% on the previous year and up 27.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss in China peaked at 731,528 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 223,242, in 2001.

China ranks 8th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Tree cover loss in China, year by year

Annual values for Tree cover loss in China, 2001 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2001 223,242 —
2002 242,264 +8.5%
2003 258,142 +6.6%
2004 494,846 +91.7%
2005 378,450 -23.5%
2006 569,470 +50.5%
2007 646,761 +13.6%
2008 731,528 +13.1%
2009 594,076 -18.8%
2010 621,761 +4.7%
2011 593,339 -4.6%
2012 595,912 +0.4%
2013 436,964 -26.7%
2014 528,184 +20.9%
2015 488,796 -7.5%
2016 716,790 +46.6%
2017 642,178 -10.4%
2018 568,280 -11.5%
2019 495,286 -12.8%
2020 420,536 -15.1%
2021 534,560 +27.1%
2022 609,889 +14.1%
2023 601,861 -1.3%
2024 673,569 +11.9%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 673,569 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,110, 163.9× the median. (53 countries reporting)
  • China's 673,569 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39,449, 17.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 459,864 223,242 731,528 9
2010s 568,749 436,964 716,790 10
2020s 568,083 420,536 673,569 5

Countries ranked near China

  1. 5 United States 1.59 million compare
  2. 6 Democratic Republic of Congo 1.38 million compare
  3. 7 Indonesia 1.12 million compare
  4. 9 Laos 351,069 compare
  5. 10 Mexico 330,263 compare
  6. 11 Sweden 315,303 compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss in China?
Tree cover loss in China was 673,569 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 731,528 in 2008.
What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 223,242 in 2001.
How does China rank for tree cover loss?
China ranks 8th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Tree cover loss. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Tree cover loss in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/tree-cover-loss/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Tree cover loss
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
197 places, 4,728 data points, 2001–2024
Last refreshed