Deforestation embedded in trade in Congo

Congo: Deforestation embedded in trade was 321.59 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
321.59 hectares
Change on year
up 144.7%
World rank
113th
of 178 countries
All-time high
26,158 hectares
in 2012
All-time low
-718.68 hectares
in 2022
Years of data
19
2005–2023

Deforestation embedded in trade in Congo, 2005–2023

010.0k20.0k30.0k2005201420232005: 689.8 hectares2006: 1.2k hectares2007: 4.0k hectares2008: 1.9k hectares2009: 2.0k hectares2010: 2.5k hectares2011: 3.2k hectares2012: 26.2k hectares2013: 1.7k hectares2014: 16.3k hectares2015: 7.5k hectares2016: 4.7k hectares2017: 2.4k hectares2018: 2.6k hectares2019: 2.6k hectares2020: -349.5 hectares2021: 2.4k hectares2022: -718.7 hectares2023: 321.6 hectares

Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2023, deforestation embedded in trade in Congo stood at 321.59 hectares.

The figure is up 144.7% on the previous year and down 81.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, deforestation embedded in trade in Congo peaked at 26,158 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, -718.68 hectares, in 2022.

That places Congo 113th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1,962 hectares 689.77 hectares 4,050 hectares 5
2010s 6,971 hectares 1,695 hectares 26,158 hectares 10
2020s 407.27 hectares -718.68 hectares 2,376 hectares 4

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 110 Croatia 498.59 hectares compare
  2. 111 Slovenia 482.78 hectares compare
  3. 112 North Korea 390.54 hectares compare
  4. 114 Sierra Leone 309.58 hectares compare
  5. 115 Lithuania 295 hectares compare
  6. 116 Brunei 284.07 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is deforestation embedded in trade in Congo?
Deforestation embedded in trade in Congo was 321.59 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in Congo?
The highest recorded value was 26,158 hectares in 2012.
What is the lowest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was -718.68 hectares in 2022.
How does Congo rank for deforestation embedded in trade?
Congo ranks 113th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
Is deforestation embedded in trade rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is down 81.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Congo data come from?
The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deforestation embedded in trade. 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

Indicator
Deforestation embedded in trade
Unit
hectares
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
178 places, 3,320 data points, 2005–2023
Last refreshed

Deforestation driven by imported goods minus exported goods from agriculture and forest plantations. Net importers of deforestation are countries who contribute to net deforestation in other countries – the deforestation that they cause in other countries is given as a positive value.