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 189 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.
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 4.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 30.0% (2025)
- Rural population 18.31 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 2.2% (2025)
- Rural population 82.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 2.04 million hectares (2023)
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 189 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.