Tree Cover Loss in Malawi
Malawi: Tree Cover Loss was 17,964 hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Tree Cover Loss in Malawi, 2001–2025
Source: Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA). Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, tree cover loss in Malawi stood at 17,964 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.1% on the previous year and up 66.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss in Malawi peaked at 22,979 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2,492 hectares, in 2001.
That places Malawi 73rd out of 190 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Tree Cover Loss in Malawi, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,492 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 4,197 hectares | +68.4% |
| 2003 | 7,094 hectares | +69.0% |
| 2004 | 5,724 hectares | -19.3% |
| 2005 | 9,458 hectares | +65.2% |
| 2006 | 5,551 hectares | -41.3% |
| 2007 | 7,493 hectares | +35.0% |
| 2008 | 9,728 hectares | +29.8% |
| 2009 | 4,035 hectares | -58.5% |
| 2010 | 3,991 hectares | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 8,270 hectares | +107.2% |
| 2012 | 12,175 hectares | +47.2% |
| 2013 | 10,562 hectares | -13.2% |
| 2014 | 18,594 hectares | +76.0% |
| 2015 | 10,793 hectares | -42.0% |
| 2016 | 13,530 hectares | +25.4% |
| 2017 | 15,351 hectares | +13.5% |
| 2018 | 15,519 hectares | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 12,149 hectares | -21.7% |
| 2020 | 16,070 hectares | +32.3% |
| 2021 | 16,583 hectares | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 14,884 hectares | -10.2% |
| 2023 | 22,979 hectares | +54.4% |
| 2024 | 17,093 hectares | -25.6% |
| 2025 | 17,964 hectares | +5.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 17,964 hectares is above the median for low income countries, which is 8,372 hectares, 2.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 17,964 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8,252 hectares, 2.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6,197 hectares | 2,492 hectares | 9,728 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 12,093 hectares | 3,991 hectares | 18,594 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 17,596 hectares | 14,884 hectares | 22,979 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss in Malawi?
- Tree cover loss in Malawi was 17,964 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 22,979 hectares in 2023.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,492 hectares in 2001.
- How does Malawi rank for tree cover loss?
- Malawi ranks 73rd out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is tree cover loss rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 66.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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
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.