Consumption-based deforestation per person in Belgium
Belgium: Consumption-based deforestation per person was 6.39 square meters in 2023. ▼ Falling
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Belgium, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in square meters.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 6.39 square meters for consumption-based deforestation per person in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.
That represents a change of down 18.5% on the previous year and down 40.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, consumption-based deforestation per person in Belgium peaked at 15.85 square meters in 2008 and was at its lowest, 6.39 square meters, in 2023.
Belgium ranks 54th of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Belgium, year by year
| Year | square meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 14.83 square meters | — |
| 2006 | 14.18 square meters | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 14.3 square meters | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 15.85 square meters | +10.8% |
| 2009 | 11.59 square meters | -26.9% |
| 2010 | 15.54 square meters | +34.1% |
| 2011 | 14.33 square meters | -7.8% |
| 2012 | 13.26 square meters | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 10.77 square meters | -18.8% |
| 2014 | 11.92 square meters | +10.6% |
| 2015 | 12.19 square meters | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 14.28 square meters | +17.2% |
| 2017 | 14.17 square meters | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 13.49 square meters | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 12.47 square meters | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 9.57 square meters | -23.2% |
| 2021 | 9.49 square meters | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 7.83 square meters | -17.4% |
| 2023 | 6.39 square meters | -18.5% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 6.39 square meters is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.26 square meters, 1.5× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 6.39 square meters is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.8 square meters, 1.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.15 square meters | 11.59 square meters | 15.85 square meters | 5 |
| 2010s | 13.24 square meters | 10.77 square meters | 15.54 square meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.32 square meters | 6.39 square meters | 9.57 square meters | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More environment data for Belgium
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.574 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.19 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.5577 % 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 0.0605 % 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 consumption-based deforestation per person in Belgium?
- Consumption-based deforestation per person in Belgium was 6.39 square meters in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest consumption-based deforestation per person recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 15.85 square meters in 2008.
- What is the lowest consumption-based deforestation per person recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.39 square meters in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for consumption-based deforestation per person?
- Belgium ranks 54th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is consumption-based deforestation per person rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption-based deforestation per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated average deforestation for agricultural and forestry products, per person. This is adjusted for trade, so it reflects deforestation caused by consumption, not domestic production.