Tree Cover Loss in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Tree Cover Loss was 15,243 hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Tree Cover Loss in Sri Lanka, 2001–2025
Source: Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA). Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 15,243 hectares for tree cover loss in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 29.5% on the previous year and up 105.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss in Sri Lanka peaked at 17,490 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3,149 hectares, in 2003.
That places Sri Lanka 76th 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 | 6,563 hectares | 3,149 hectares | 13,974 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 11,813 hectares | 7,231 hectares | 17,490 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,944 hectares | 8,412 hectares | 15,243 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture share gdp 8.36 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 8.36 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
- Rural population 79.5% (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.9% (2025)
- Rural population 17.31 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 9.10 billion current US$ (2025)
- Cattle fat, unrendered — Production 752.4 t (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss in Sri Lanka?
- Tree cover loss in Sri Lanka was 15,243 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 17,490 hectares in 2016.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,149 hectares in 2003.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for tree cover loss?
- Sri Lanka ranks 76th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is tree cover loss rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 105.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.