Annual deforestation in Panama
Panama: Annual deforestation was 5,430 hectares per year in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
5,430 hectares per year
World rank
48th
of 112 countries
All-time high
18,950 hectares per year
in 1990
All-time low
3,870 hectares per year
in 2015
Years of data
5
1990–2020
Annual deforestation in Panama, 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
Panama recorded 5,430 hectares per year for annual deforestation in 2020.
That represents a change of down 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual deforestation in Panama peaked at 18,950 hectares per year in 1990 and was at its lowest, 3,870 hectares per year, in 2015.
That places Panama 48th out of 112 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Annual deforestation in Panama, year by year
| Year | hectares per year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 18,950 hectares per year | — |
| 2000 | 13,730 hectares per year | -27.5% |
| 2010 | 7,480 hectares per year | -45.5% |
| 2015 | 3,870 hectares per year | -48.3% |
| 2020 | 5,430 hectares per year | +40.3% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 5,430 hectares per year is above the median for high income countries, which is 40 hectares per year, 135.8× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Panama's 5,430 hectares per year is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 22,700 hectares per year, 24% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18,950 hectares per year | 18,950 hectares per year | 18,950 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2000s | 13,730 hectares per year | 13,730 hectares per year | 13,730 hectares per year | 1 |
| 2010s | 5,675 hectares per year | 3,870 hectares per year | 7,480 hectares per year | 2 |
| 2020s | 5,430 hectares per year | 5,430 hectares per year | 5,430 hectares per year | 1 |
Countries ranked near Panama
- 45 Gambia 6,930 hectares per year compare
- 46 Iraq 6,600 hectares per year compare
- 47 Netherlands 5,470 hectares per year compare
- 49 Austria 5,130 hectares per year compare
- 50 El Salvador 4,940 hectares per year compare
- 51 Costa Rica 4,500 hectares per year compare
More environment data for Panama
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.66 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 7.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.274 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.41 % 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 -0.2493 % 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 Panama?
- Annual deforestation in Panama was 5,430 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 Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 18,950 hectares per year in 1990.
- What is the lowest annual deforestation recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,870 hectares per year in 2015.
- How does Panama rank for annual deforestation?
- Panama ranks 48th out of 112 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual deforestation rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Panama 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).