Annual deforestation in Bhutan
Bhutan: Annual deforestation was 8,480 hectares per year in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Annual deforestation in Bhutan, 1990–2020
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares per year.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual deforestation in Bhutan is 8,480 hectares per year, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2,394.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual deforestation in Bhutan peaked at 8,480 hectares per year in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0 hectares per year, in 1990.
Bhutan ranks 41st of 112 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Annual deforestation in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | hectares per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 hectares per year | — |
| 2000 | 190 hectares per year | — |
| 2010 | 340 hectares per year | +78.9% |
| 2015 | 430 hectares per year | +26.5% |
| 2020 | 8,480 hectares per year | +1872.1% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 8,480 hectares per year is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14,965 hectares per year, 57% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 hectares per year | 0 hectares per year | 0 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 190 hectares per year | 190 hectares per year | 190 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 385 hectares per year | 340 hectares per year | 430 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 8,480 hectares per year | 8,480 hectares per year | 8,480 hectares per year | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More environment data for Bhutan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.2782 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.5977 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.257 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.08 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.487 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -5.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual deforestation in Bhutan?
- Annual deforestation in Bhutan was 8,480 hectares per year in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual deforestation recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 8,480 hectares per year in 2020.
- What is the lowest annual deforestation recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 hectares per year in 1990.
- How does Bhutan rank for annual deforestation?
- Bhutan ranks 41st out of 112 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual deforestation rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2,394.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).