Tree cover loss in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Tree cover loss was 11,720 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
11,720
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
82nd
of 197 countries
All-time high
17,433
in 2016
All-time low
3,107
in 2003
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Tree cover loss in Sri Lanka, 2001–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tree cover loss in Sri Lanka is 11,720, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss in Sri Lanka peaked at 17,433 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3,107, in 2003.
That places Sri Lanka 82nd 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 3,693 | — |
| 2002 | 3,376 | -8.6% |
| 2003 | 3,107 | -8.0% |
| 2004 | 5,520 | +77.7% |
| 2005 | 4,606 | -16.6% |
| 2006 | 7,646 | +66.0% |
| 2007 | 10,162 | +32.9% |
| 2008 | 6,424 | -36.8% |
| 2009 | 13,867 | +115.9% |
| 2010 | 7,162 | -48.4% |
| 2011 | 14,615 | +104.1% |
| 2012 | 14,290 | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 7,877 | -44.9% |
| 2014 | 12,255 | +55.6% |
| 2015 | 7,365 | -39.9% |
| 2016 | 17,433 | +136.7% |
| 2017 | 13,006 | -25.4% |
| 2018 | 13,106 | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 10,259 | -21.7% |
| 2020 | 11,174 | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 13,262 | +18.7% |
| 2022 | 8,385 | -36.8% |
| 2023 | 11,676 | +39.2% |
| 2024 | 11,720 | +0.4% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 11,720 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,110, 2.9× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 11,720 is above the median for South Asia, which is 7,149, 1.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6,489 | 3,107 | 13,867 | 9 |
| 2010s | 11,737 | 7,162 | 17,433 | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,243 | 8,385 | 13,262 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.316 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1784 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.539 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1604 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9713 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss in Sri Lanka?
- Tree cover loss in Sri Lanka was 11,720 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 17,433 in 2016.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,107 in 2003.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for tree cover loss?
- Sri Lanka ranks 82nd out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tree cover loss rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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).