Agriculture-driven deforestation in South Sudan
South Sudan: Agriculture-driven deforestation was 2,790 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2,790 hectares
Change on year
down 13.7%
World rank
59th
of 187 countries
All-time high
6,146 hectares
in 2005
All-time low
1,062 hectares
in 2020
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Agriculture-driven deforestation in South Sudan, 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 South Sudan stood at 2,790 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.7% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agriculture-driven deforestation in South Sudan peaked at 6,146 hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1,062 hectares, in 2020.
South Sudan ranks 59th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Agriculture-driven deforestation in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,596 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 4,206 hectares | +62.0% |
| 2003 | 1,252 hectares | -70.2% |
| 2004 | 6,029 hectares | +381.7% |
| 2005 | 6,146 hectares | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 4,918 hectares | -20.0% |
| 2007 | 5,280 hectares | +7.4% |
| 2008 | 4,968 hectares | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 4,337 hectares | -12.7% |
| 2010 | 2,526 hectares | -41.7% |
| 2011 | 5,176 hectares | +104.9% |
| 2012 | 3,858 hectares | -25.5% |
| 2013 | 2,226 hectares | -42.3% |
| 2014 | 2,956 hectares | +32.8% |
| 2015 | 1,314 hectares | -55.6% |
| 2016 | 2,063 hectares | +57.0% |
| 2017 | 3,623 hectares | +75.7% |
| 2018 | 1,211 hectares | -66.6% |
| 2019 | 2,295 hectares | +89.4% |
| 2020 | 1,062 hectares | -53.7% |
| 2021 | 1,373 hectares | +29.2% |
| 2022 | 1,723 hectares | +25.5% |
| 2023 | 3,233 hectares | +87.6% |
| 2024 | 2,790 hectares | -13.7% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 2,790 hectares is above the median for low income countries, which is 2,362 hectares, 1.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 2,790 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,723 hectares, 75% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4,415 hectares | 1,252 hectares | 6,146 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 2,725 hectares | 1,211 hectares | 5,176 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,036 hectares | 1,062 hectares | 3,233 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
- 56 Togo 3,923 hectares compare
- 57 South Africa 3,723 hectares compare
- 58 Gabon 2,999 hectares compare
- 60 Bangladesh 2,593 hectares compare
- 61 Zimbabwe 2,532 hectares compare
- 62 French Guiana 2,155 hectares compare
More environment data for South Sudan
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -17.71 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -18.33 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.283 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth US$ -9.78 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Value Standard 468,790 million SLC (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth US$ 70.33 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth -9.78 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth 10.41 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agriculture-driven deforestation in South Sudan?
- Agriculture-driven deforestation in South Sudan was 2,790 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 South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 6,146 hectares in 2005.
- What is the lowest agriculture-driven deforestation recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,062 hectares in 2020.
- How does South Sudan rank for agriculture-driven deforestation?
- South Sudan ranks 59th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is agriculture-driven deforestation rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Sudan 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.