Tree cover loss in Zambia

Zambia: Tree cover loss was 229,226 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
229,226 hectares
Change on year
up 20.5%
World rank
20th
of 197 countries
All-time high
229,226 hectares
in 2024
All-time low
28,140 hectares
in 2004
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss in Zambia, 2001–2024

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k2001201220242001: 29.6k hectares2002: 45.6k hectares2003: 41.5k hectares2004: 28.1k hectares2005: 56.9k hectares2006: 40.2k hectares2007: 53.4k hectares2008: 65.7k hectares2009: 117.1k hectares2010: 172.1k hectares2011: 59.6k hectares2012: 127.8k hectares2013: 83.3k hectares2014: 114.0k hectares2015: 87.0k hectares2016: 141.2k hectares2017: 162.3k hectares2018: 143.8k hectares2019: 124.5k hectares2020: 162.7k hectares2021: 201.1k hectares2022: 178.9k hectares2023: 190.2k hectares2024: 229.2k hectares

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

Analysis

Zambia recorded 229,226 hectares for tree cover loss in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of up 20.5% on the previous year and up 101.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss in Zambia peaked at 229,226 hectares in 2024 and was at its lowest, 28,140 hectares, in 2004.

That places Zambia 20th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 53,114 hectares 28,140 hectares 117,111 hectares 9
2010s 121,573 hectares 59,624 hectares 172,105 hectares 10
2020s 192,412 hectares 162,691 hectares 229,226 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 17 Paraguay 265,671 hectares compare
  2. 18 Finland 233,586 hectares compare
  3. 19 Madagascar 230,974 hectares compare
  4. 21 Tanzania 225,553 hectares compare
  5. 22 Colombia 212,750 hectares compare
  6. 23 Argentina 202,720 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss in Zambia?
Tree cover loss in Zambia was 229,226 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 Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 229,226 hectares in 2024.
What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 28,140 hectares in 2004.
How does Zambia rank for tree cover loss?
Zambia ranks 20th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 101.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia 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.