Tree Cover Loss in New Zealand
New Zealand: Tree Cover Loss was 39,723 hectares in 2025. ▬ Flat
Tree Cover Loss in New Zealand, 2001–2025
Source: Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA). Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tree cover loss in New Zealand is 39,723 hectares, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 37.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss in New Zealand peaked at 80,359 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 39,497 hectares, in 2024.
New Zealand ranks 57th of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Tree Cover Loss in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 50,528 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 63,228 hectares | +25.1% |
| 2003 | 44,799 hectares | -29.1% |
| 2004 | 60,681 hectares | +35.5% |
| 2005 | 52,519 hectares | -13.5% |
| 2006 | 61,672 hectares | +17.4% |
| 2007 | 62,643 hectares | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 61,372 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 59,614 hectares | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 56,122 hectares | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 59,945 hectares | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 69,499 hectares | +15.9% |
| 2013 | 77,542 hectares | +11.6% |
| 2014 | 79,410 hectares | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 64,003 hectares | -19.4% |
| 2016 | 80,359 hectares | +25.6% |
| 2017 | 74,884 hectares | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 79,228 hectares | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 71,431 hectares | -9.8% |
| 2020 | 60,925 hectares | -14.7% |
| 2021 | 66,243 hectares | +8.7% |
| 2022 | 58,515 hectares | -11.7% |
| 2023 | 50,463 hectares | -13.8% |
| 2024 | 39,497 hectares | -21.7% |
| 2025 | 39,723 hectares | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 57,451 hectares | 44,799 hectares | 63,228 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 71,242 hectares | 56,122 hectares | 80,359 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 52,561 hectares | 39,497 hectares | 66,243 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -10.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,976 current US$ per person (2023)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.275 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 4.01 (2023)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 4.01 (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss in New Zealand?
- Tree cover loss in New Zealand was 39,723 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 80,359 hectares in 2016.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 39,497 hectares in 2024.
- How does New Zealand rank for tree cover loss?
- New Zealand ranks 57th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is tree cover loss rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.