Tree cover loss in Congo

Congo: Tree cover loss was 114,287 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
114,287 hectares
Change on year
up 69.9%
World rank
36th
of 197 countries
All-time high
114,287 hectares
in 2024
All-time low
13,588 hectares
in 2004
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss in Congo, 2001–2024

25.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k2001201220242001: 26.1k hectares2002: 23.7k hectares2003: 18.0k hectares2004: 13.6k hectares2005: 18.4k hectares2006: 21.5k hectares2007: 29.0k hectares2008: 17.0k hectares2009: 18.3k hectares2010: 43.3k hectares2011: 27.4k hectares2012: 31.2k hectares2013: 53.4k hectares2014: 70.8k hectares2015: 47.3k hectares2016: 113.7k hectares2017: 63.2k hectares2018: 62.4k hectares2019: 73.5k hectares2020: 64.2k hectares2021: 57.9k hectares2022: 59.1k hectares2023: 67.3k hectares2024: 114.3k hectares

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

Analysis

Congo recorded 114,287 hectares for tree cover loss in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of up 69.9% on the previous year and up 61.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss in Congo peaked at 114,287 hectares in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13,588 hectares, in 2004.

That places Congo 36th 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 20,638 hectares 13,588 hectares 29,037 hectares 9
2010s 58,622 hectares 27,434 hectares 113,657 hectares 10
2020s 72,552 hectares 57,885 hectares 114,287 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 33 Sierra Leone 130,659 hectares compare
  2. 34 Vietnam 128,409 hectares compare
  3. 35 India 125,678 hectares compare
  4. 37 Ghana 107,910 hectares compare
  5. 38 Guyana 107,173 hectares compare
  6. 39 Nigeria 105,592 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More reference data data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss in Congo?
Tree cover loss in Congo was 114,287 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 Congo?
The highest recorded value was 114,287 hectares in 2024.
What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 13,588 hectares in 2004.
How does Congo rank for tree cover loss?
Congo ranks 36th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 61.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Congo 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.