Tree cover loss in Malaysia
Malaysia: Tree cover loss was 282,432 hectares in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
282,432 hectares
Change on year
down 8.5%
World rank
14th
of 197 countries
All-time high
645,678 hectares
in 2014
All-time low
183,907 hectares
in 2003
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Tree cover loss in Malaysia, 2001–2024
Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 282,432 hectares for tree cover loss in 2024.
That represents a change of down 8.5% on the previous year and down 56.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss in Malaysia peaked at 645,678 hectares in 2014 and was at its lowest, 183,907 hectares, in 2003.
That places Malaysia 14th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
Tree cover loss in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 332,447 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 312,583 hectares | -6.0% |
| 2003 | 183,907 hectares | -41.2% |
| 2004 | 351,769 hectares | +91.3% |
| 2005 | 375,517 hectares | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 334,308 hectares | -11.0% |
| 2007 | 405,459 hectares | +21.3% |
| 2008 | 368,044 hectares | -9.2% |
| 2009 | 622,811 hectares | +69.2% |
| 2010 | 430,653 hectares | -30.9% |
| 2011 | 462,883 hectares | +7.5% |
| 2012 | 627,666 hectares | +35.6% |
| 2013 | 333,217 hectares | -46.9% |
| 2014 | 645,678 hectares | +93.8% |
| 2015 | 454,031 hectares | -29.7% |
| 2016 | 565,315 hectares | +24.5% |
| 2017 | 483,118 hectares | -14.5% |
| 2018 | 437,907 hectares | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 395,335 hectares | -9.7% |
| 2020 | 268,687 hectares | -32.0% |
| 2021 | 277,494 hectares | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 247,979 hectares | -10.6% |
| 2023 | 308,585 hectares | +24.4% |
| 2024 | 282,432 hectares | -8.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 282,432 hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,110 hectares, 68.7× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 282,432 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39,449 hectares, 7.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 365,205 hectares | 183,907 hectares | 622,811 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 483,580 hectares | 333,217 hectares | 645,678 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 277,035 hectares | 247,979 hectares | 308,585 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7102 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5869 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1487 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8098 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss in Malaysia?
- Tree cover loss in Malaysia was 282,432 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 645,678 hectares in 2014.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 183,907 hectares in 2003.
- How does Malaysia rank for tree cover loss?
- Malaysia ranks 14th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tree cover loss rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malaysia 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
Tree cover loss driven by all causes.