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
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.
Primary Forest Loss in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 168,992 | — |
| 2003 | 78,138 | -53.8% |
| 2004 | 123,521 | +58.1% |
| 2005 | 149,894 | +21.4% |
| 2006 | 146,457 | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 154,991 | +5.8% |
| 2008 | 121,474 | -21.6% |
| 2009 | 218,278 | +79.7% |
| 2010 | 265,181 | +21.5% |
| 2011 | 148,639 | -43.9% |
| 2012 | 211,234 | +42.1% |
| 2013 | 351,218 | +66.3% |
| 2014 | 439,347 | +25.1% |
| 2015 | 322,815 | -26.5% |
| 2016 | 499,562 | +54.8% |
| 2017 | 471,869 | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 481,249 | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 475,246 | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 490,613 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 499,060 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 512,676 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 526,168 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 589,812 | +12.1% |
| 2025 | 559,439 | -5.1% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 559,439 is above the median for low income countries, which is 2,128, 262.8× the median. (14 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 559,439 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2,522, 221.8× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More agriculture & rural data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0893 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 72.04 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5489 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2023)
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).