China vs Nigeria: Drivers of deforestation
China
26,740 hectares
in 2023
Nigeria
22,772 hectares
in 2023
China rank
11th
Nigeria rank
14th
Drivers of deforestation over time
- China
- Nigeria
How they compare
China currently reports 26,740 hectares against 22,772 hectares in Nigeria, a difference of 3,968 hectares.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Nigeria's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 20 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Nigeria ahead.
China ranks 11th and Nigeria ranks 14th of 166 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Nigeria in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20,848 hectares | 18,231 hectares | 2,616 hectares | China |
| 2010s | 45,922 hectares | 29,221 hectares | 16,701 hectares | China |
| 2020s | 22,309 hectares | 26,263 hectares | 3,954 hectares | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher drivers of deforestation, China or Nigeria?
- China, at 26,740 hectares against 22,772 hectares in Nigeria as of 2023.
- What is the difference in drivers of deforestation between China and Nigeria?
- 3,968 hectares, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Nigeria?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2023.
- How do China and Nigeria rank globally for drivers of deforestation?
- China ranks 11th and Nigeria ranks 14th of 166 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Drivers of deforestation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimates of commodity-driven deforestation, measured in hectares per year. This includes deforestation caused by the production of agricultural products and forestry, which account for approximately 90% of the world's deforestation.