Tree Cover Loss in India

India: Tree Cover Loss was 118,595 hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
118,595 hectares
Change on year
down 5.9%
World rank
29th
of 189 countries
All-time high
179,260 hectares
in 2017
All-time low
43,831 hectares
in 2003
Years of data
25
2001–2025

Tree Cover Loss in India, 2001–2025

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k2001201320252001: 56.8k hectares2002: 47.8k hectares2003: 43.8k hectares2004: 66.4k hectares2005: 56.4k hectares2006: 61.0k hectares2007: 67.7k hectares2008: 78.6k hectares2009: 74.2k hectares2010: 47.4k hectares2011: 83.4k hectares2012: 88.0k hectares2013: 75.4k hectares2014: 132.1k hectares2015: 109.7k hectares2016: 164.2k hectares2017: 179.3k hectares2018: 125.3k hectares2019: 115.9k hectares2020: 130.9k hectares2021: 125.8k hectares2022: 114.2k hectares2023: 136.7k hectares2024: 126.0k hectares2025: 118.6k hectares

Source: Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA). Measured in hectares.

Analysis

India recorded 118,595 hectares for tree cover loss in 2025.

The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss in India peaked at 179,260 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 43,831 hectares, in 2003.

India ranks 29th of 189 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 61,426 hectares 43,831 hectares 78,641 hectares 9
2010s 112,064 hectares 47,442 hectares 179,260 hectares 10
2020s 125,364 hectares 114,224 hectares 136,713 hectares 6

Countries ranked near India

  1. 26 Spain 162,796 hectares compare
  2. 27 Paraguay 149,845 hectares compare
  3. 28 Liberia 145,881 hectares compare
  4. 30 Vietnam 118,343 hectares compare
  5. 31 Nigeria 118,263 hectares compare
  6. 32 Ghana 116,555 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 190 places →

More agriculture & rural data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss in India?
Tree cover loss in India was 118,595 hectares in 2025, according to Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA).
What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 179,260 hectares in 2017.
What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 43,831 hectares in 2003.
How does India rank for tree cover loss?
India ranks 29th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
Is tree cover loss rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA), published as part of Tree Cover Loss (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Tree Cover Loss (hectares)
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
190 places, 4,725 data points, 2001–2025
Last refreshed

Shows year-by-year tree cover loss, defined as stand level replacement of vegetation greater than 5 meters, within the selected area. The tree cover loss data set is a collaboration of the University of Maryland, Google, USGS, and NASA, and uses Landsat satellite images to map annual tree cover loss at a 30 × 30 meter resolution. Note that “tree cover loss” is not the same as “deforestation” – tree cover loss includes change in both natural and planted forest, and does not need to be human caused. The data from 2011 onward were produced with an updated methodology that may capture additional loss. Comparisons between the original 2001-2010 data and future years should be performed with caution.