Deforestation embedded in trade in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Deforestation embedded in trade was 2,043 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
2,043 hectares
Change on year
up 27,504.5%
World rank
70th
of 178 countries
All-time high
2,043 hectares
in 2023
All-time low
-3,926 hectares
in 2010
Years of data
19
2005–2023

Deforestation embedded in trade in Sri Lanka, 2005–2023

-4.0k-2.0k02.0k2005201420232005: -556.6 hectares2006: -857.1 hectares2007: -1.3k hectares2008: -1.5k hectares2009: -2.3k hectares2010: -3.9k hectares2011: -3.1k hectares2012: -2.8k hectares2013: -3.0k hectares2014: -2.2k hectares2015: -2.2k hectares2016: -2.6k hectares2017: -3.4k hectares2018: -2.3k hectares2019: -1.6k hectares2020: -2.3k hectares2021: -1.9k hectares2022: 7.4 hectares2023: 2.0k hectares

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

Analysis

In 2023, deforestation embedded in trade in Sri Lanka stood at 2,043 hectares. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.

That represents a change of up 27,504.5% on the previous year and up 168.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, deforestation embedded in trade in Sri Lanka peaked at 2,043 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, -3,926 hectares, in 2010.

Sri Lanka ranks 70th of 178 countries on this measure, 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 -1,301 hectares -2,341 hectares -556.59 hectares 5
2010s -2,709 hectares -3,926 hectares -1,637 hectares 10
2020s -541.16 hectares -2,285 hectares 2,043 hectares 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 67 Uganda 2,302 hectares compare
  2. 68 Armenia 2,241 hectares compare
  3. 69 Zimbabwe 2,081 hectares compare
  4. 71 Finland 2,025 hectares compare
  5. 72 Afghanistan 1,979 hectares compare
  6. 73 Czechia 1,884 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is deforestation embedded in trade in Sri Lanka?
Deforestation embedded in trade in Sri Lanka was 2,043 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 Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 2,043 hectares in 2023.
What is the lowest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was -3,926 hectares in 2010.
How does Sri Lanka rank for deforestation embedded in trade?
Sri Lanka ranks 70th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
Is deforestation embedded in trade rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is up 168.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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.