Tree cover loss in New Zealand
New Zealand: Tree cover loss was 39,449 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
39,449
Change on year
down 21.7%
World rank
60th
of 197 countries
All-time high
80,071
in 2016
All-time low
39,449
in 2024
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Tree cover loss in New Zealand, 2001–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, tree cover loss in New Zealand stood at 39,449. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 21.7% on the previous year and down 49.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss in New Zealand peaked at 80,071 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 39,449, in 2024.
That places New Zealand 60th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Tree cover loss in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 50,018 | — |
| 2002 | 62,849 | +25.7% |
| 2003 | 44,383 | -29.4% |
| 2004 | 60,267 | +35.8% |
| 2005 | 51,999 | -13.7% |
| 2006 | 61,284 | +17.9% |
| 2007 | 62,149 | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 60,845 | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 59,161 | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 55,676 | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 59,435 | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 68,584 | +15.4% |
| 2013 | 76,723 | +11.9% |
| 2014 | 78,764 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 63,763 | -19.0% |
| 2016 | 80,071 | +25.6% |
| 2017 | 74,590 | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 78,937 | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 71,254 | -9.7% |
| 2020 | 60,744 | -14.8% |
| 2021 | 66,069 | +8.8% |
| 2022 | 58,345 | -11.7% |
| 2023 | 50,401 | -13.6% |
| 2024 | 39,449 | -21.7% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 39,449 is above the median for high income countries, which is 7,323, 5.4× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 39,449 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39,449, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 56,995 | 44,383 | 62,849 | 9 |
| 2010s | 70,780 | 55,676 | 80,071 | 10 |
| 2020s | 55,001 | 39,449 | 66,069 | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4532 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0459 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 42.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 47.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2499 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss in New Zealand?
- Tree cover loss in New Zealand was 39,449 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 80,071 in 2016.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 39,449 in 2024.
- How does New Zealand rank for tree cover loss?
- New Zealand ranks 60th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tree cover loss rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).