Deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations in New Zealand
New Zealand: Deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations was 16,180 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations in New Zealand, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations in New Zealand stood at 16,180.
That represents a change of down 10.7% on the previous year and up 958.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations in New Zealand peaked at 18,122 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 541.16, in 2012.
That places New Zealand 35th out of 176 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4,778 | — |
| 2002 | 6,661 | +39.4% |
| 2003 | 4,812 | -27.8% |
| 2004 | 7,639 | +58.8% |
| 2005 | 8,085 | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 10,164 | +25.7% |
| 2007 | 13,750 | +35.3% |
| 2008 | 9,746 | -29.1% |
| 2009 | 6,691 | -31.3% |
| 2010 | 5,665 | -15.3% |
| 2011 | 6,265 | +10.6% |
| 2012 | 541.16 | -91.4% |
| 2013 | 1,529 | +182.5% |
| 2014 | 7,800 | +410.1% |
| 2015 | 12,700 | +62.8% |
| 2016 | 16,636 | +31.0% |
| 2017 | 16,323 | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 17,690 | +8.4% |
| 2019 | 16,494 | -6.8% |
| 2020 | 14,498 | -12.1% |
| 2021 | 15,606 | +7.6% |
| 2022 | 18,122 | +16.1% |
| 2023 | 16,180 | -10.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8,036 | 4,778 | 13,750 | 9 |
| 2010s | 10,164 | 541.16 | 17,690 | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,101 | 14,498 | 18,122 | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -10.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,976 current US$ per person (2023)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.275 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.0% (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations in New Zealand?
- Deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations in New Zealand was 16,180 in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 18,122 in 2022.
- What is the lowest deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 541.16 in 2012.
- How does New Zealand rank for deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations?
- New Zealand ranks 35th out of 176 countries with data for 2023.
- Is deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 958.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and forest plantations. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The estimated area deforested to clear land for agricultural production or forest plantations. This is measured in hectares.