China vs India: Annual deforestation
China
274,000 hectares per year
in 2020
India
588,000 hectares per year
in 2020
China rank
5th
India rank
2nd
Annual deforestation over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 588,000 hectares per year against 274,000 hectares per year in China, a difference of 314,000 hectares per year.
That makes India's figure about 2.1 times China's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
China ranks 5th and India ranks 2nd of 112 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 327,540 hectares per year | 384,000 hectares per year | 56,460 hectares per year | India |
| 2000s | 312,760 hectares per year | 629,500 hectares per year | 316,740 hectares per year | India |
| 2010s | 331,920 hectares per year | 665,100 hectares per year | 333,180 hectares per year | India |
| 2020s | 274,000 hectares per year | 588,000 hectares per year | 314,000 hectares per year | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual deforestation, China or India?
- India, at 588,000 hectares per year against 274,000 hectares per year in China as of 2020.
- What is the difference in annual deforestation between China and India?
- 314,000 hectares per year, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.
- How do China and India rank globally for annual deforestation?
- China ranks 5th and India ranks 2nd of 112 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual deforestation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.