Tree cover loss in India

India: Tree cover loss was 125,678 hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
125,678 hectares
Change on year
down 7.8%
World rank
35th
of 197 countries
All-time high
179,009 hectares
in 2017
All-time low
42,675 hectares
in 2003
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss in India, 2001–2024

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k2001201220242001: 54.4k hectares2002: 46.3k hectares2003: 42.7k hectares2004: 64.5k hectares2005: 55.0k hectares2006: 59.6k hectares2007: 66.1k hectares2008: 77.1k hectares2009: 72.5k hectares2010: 46.3k hectares2011: 81.6k hectares2012: 84.8k hectares2013: 74.8k hectares2014: 131.4k hectares2015: 109.4k hectares2016: 163.9k hectares2017: 179.0k hectares2018: 125.0k hectares2019: 115.6k hectares2020: 130.6k hectares2021: 125.5k hectares2022: 114.0k hectares2023: 136.3k hectares2024: 125.7k 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 India is 125,678 hectares, measured in 2024.

The figure is down 7.8% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss in India peaked at 179,009 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 42,675 hectares, in 2003.

India ranks 35th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 59,782 hectares 42,675 hectares 77,067 hectares 9
2010s 111,184 hectares 46,283 hectares 179,009 hectares 10
2020s 126,422 hectares 113,977 hectares 136,344 hectares 5

Countries ranked near India

  1. 32 Thailand 141,565 hectares compare
  2. 33 Sierra Leone 130,659 hectares compare
  3. 34 Vietnam 128,409 hectares compare
  4. 36 Congo 114,287 hectares compare
  5. 37 Ghana 107,910 hectares compare
  6. 38 Guyana 107,173 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss in India?
Tree cover loss in India was 125,678 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 179,009 hectares in 2017.
What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 42,675 hectares in 2003.
How does India rank for tree cover loss?
India ranks 35th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India 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.