Primary Forest Loss in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: Primary Forest Loss was 559,439 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
559,439
Change on year
down 5.1%
World rank
3rd
of 80 countries
All-time high
589,812
in 2024
All-time low
78,138
in 2003
Years of data
24
2002–2025

Primary Forest Loss in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2002–2025

0200.0k400.0k600.0k2002201320252002: 169.0k2003: 78.1k2004: 123.5k2005: 149.9k2006: 146.5k2007: 155.0k2008: 121.5k2009: 218.3k2010: 265.2k2011: 148.6k2012: 211.2k2013: 351.2k2014: 439.3k2015: 322.8k2016: 499.6k2017: 471.9k2018: 481.2k2019: 475.2k2020: 490.6k2021: 499.1k2022: 512.7k2023: 526.2k2024: 589.8k2025: 559.4k

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for primary forest loss in Democratic Republic of Congo is 559,439, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.1% on the previous year and up 73.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary forest loss in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 589,812 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 78,138, in 2003.

That places Democratic Republic of Congo 3rd out of 80 countries with data for 2025, 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 145,218 78,138 218,278 8
2010s 366,636 148,639 499,562 10
2020s 529,628 490,613 589,812 6

Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo

  1. 1 Brazil 1.63 million compare
  2. 2 Bolivia 622,093 compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 295,596 compare
  4. 5 Peru 174,048 compare
  5. 6 Cameroon 105,303 compare

See the full ranking of 80 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Democratic Republic of Congo

All data for Democratic Republic of Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary forest loss in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Primary forest loss in Democratic Republic of Congo was 559,439 in 2025, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest primary forest loss recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The highest recorded value was 589,812 in 2024.
What is the lowest primary forest loss recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 78,138 in 2003.
How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for primary forest loss?
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 3rd out of 80 countries with data for 2025.
Is primary forest loss rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 73.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Primary Forest Loss. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Primary Forest Loss
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
80 places, 1,920 data points, 2002–2025
Last refreshed