Agriculture-driven deforestation in Ghana
Ghana: Agriculture-driven deforestation was 92,142 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
92,142 hectares
Change on year
down 3.9%
World rank
20th
of 187 countries
All-time high
134,180 hectares
in 2018
All-time low
15,137 hectares
in 2004
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Agriculture-driven deforestation in Ghana, 2001–2024
Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2024, agriculture-driven deforestation in Ghana stood at 92,142 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.9% on the previous year and down 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agriculture-driven deforestation in Ghana peaked at 134,180 hectares in 2018 and was at its lowest, 15,137 hectares, in 2004.
Ghana ranks 20th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Agriculture-driven deforestation in Ghana, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 39,367 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 66,621 hectares | +69.2% |
| 2003 | 21,463 hectares | -67.8% |
| 2004 | 15,137 hectares | -29.5% |
| 2005 | 36,026 hectares | +138.0% |
| 2006 | 23,381 hectares | -35.1% |
| 2007 | 34,742 hectares | +48.6% |
| 2008 | 33,296 hectares | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 32,336 hectares | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 16,722 hectares | -48.3% |
| 2011 | 31,942 hectares | +91.0% |
| 2012 | 30,654 hectares | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 68,268 hectares | +122.7% |
| 2014 | 102,080 hectares | +49.5% |
| 2015 | 48,619 hectares | -52.4% |
| 2016 | 101,862 hectares | +109.5% |
| 2017 | 97,375 hectares | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 134,180 hectares | +37.8% |
| 2019 | 76,630 hectares | -42.9% |
| 2020 | 118,267 hectares | +54.3% |
| 2021 | 86,445 hectares | -26.9% |
| 2022 | 99,646 hectares | +15.3% |
| 2023 | 95,871 hectares | -3.8% |
| 2024 | 92,142 hectares | -3.9% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 92,142 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,953 hectares, 47.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 92,142 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,723 hectares, 24.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 33,597 hectares | 15,137 hectares | 66,621 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 70,833 hectares | 16,722 hectares | 134,180 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 98,474 hectares | 86,445 hectares | 118,267 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More environment data for Ghana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -13.57 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -11.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.26 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.34 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.72 % 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 0.8796 % 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 agriculture-driven deforestation in Ghana?
- Agriculture-driven deforestation in Ghana was 92,142 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agriculture-driven deforestation recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 134,180 hectares in 2018.
- What is the lowest agriculture-driven deforestation recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,137 hectares in 2004.
- How does Ghana rank for agriculture-driven deforestation?
- Ghana ranks 20th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is agriculture-driven deforestation rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Agriculture-driven deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Long-term, permanent tree cover loss for small- to large-scale agriculture.