Annual deforestation in Malawi
Malawi: Annual deforestation was 42,000 hectares per year in 2020. ▬ Flat
Annual deforestation in Malawi, 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
Malawi recorded 42,000 hectares per year for annual deforestation in 2020. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual deforestation in Malawi peaked at 42,000 hectares per year in 1990 and was at its lowest, 42,000 hectares per year, in 1990.
That places Malawi 27th out of 112 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 42,000 hectares per year | 42,000 hectares per year | 42,000 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 42,000 hectares per year | 42,000 hectares per year | 42,000 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 42,000 hectares per year | 42,000 hectares per year | 42,000 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 42,000 hectares per year | 42,000 hectares per year | 42,000 hectares per year | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More environment data for Malawi
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 19.02 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.8785 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 5.42 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.7527 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 1.9 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0074 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 9.34 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0006 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0087 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.25 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual deforestation in Malawi?
- Annual deforestation in Malawi was 42,000 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 42,000 hectares per year in 1990.
- What is the lowest annual deforestation recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 42,000 hectares per year in 1990.
- How does Malawi rank for annual deforestation?
- Malawi ranks 27th out of 112 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual deforestation rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi 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.
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