Drivers of deforestation in Benin
Benin: Drivers of deforestation was 225.28 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Benin, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Benin recorded 225.28 hectares for drivers of deforestation in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 81.6% on the previous year and down 26.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Benin peaked at 1,318 hectares in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2.84 hectares, in 2015.
That places Benin 68th out of 166 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.
Drivers of deforestation in Benin, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 124.96 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 81.08 hectares | -35.1% |
| 2003 | 1,318 hectares | +1525.5% |
| 2004 | 228.59 hectares | -82.7% |
| 2005 | 135.78 hectares | -40.6% |
| 2006 | 16.93 hectares | -87.5% |
| 2007 | 361.32 hectares | +2034.2% |
| 2008 | 19.2 hectares | -94.7% |
| 2009 | 993.41 hectares | +5074.0% |
| 2010 | 3.72 hectares | -99.6% |
| 2011 | 4.45 hectares | +19.6% |
| 2012 | 20.06 hectares | +350.8% |
| 2013 | 306.19 hectares | +1426.4% |
| 2014 | 19.38 hectares | -93.7% |
| 2015 | 2.84 hectares | -85.3% |
| 2016 | 4.35 hectares | +53.2% |
| 2017 | 35.58 hectares | +717.9% |
| 2018 | 67.42 hectares | +89.5% |
| 2019 | 27.64 hectares | -59.0% |
| 2020 | 47.62 hectares | +72.3% |
| 2021 | 77.67 hectares | +63.1% |
| 2022 | 1,224 hectares | +1475.6% |
| 2023 | 225.28 hectares | -81.6% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 225.28 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 225.28 hectares, 1.0× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Benin's 225.28 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 751.37 hectares, 30% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drivers of deforestation in Benin changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +5074.0% | 19.2 hectares | 993.41 hectares |
| 2007 | +2034.2% | 16.93 hectares | 361.32 hectares |
| 2003 | +1525.5% | 81.08 hectares | 1,318 hectares |
| 2022 | +1475.6% | 77.67 hectares | 1,224 hectares |
| 2013 | +1426.4% | 20.06 hectares | 306.19 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 364.36 hectares | 16.93 hectares | 1,318 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 49.16 hectares | 2.84 hectares | 306.19 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 393.59 hectares | 47.62 hectares | 1,224 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More environment data for Benin
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -9.6 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -10.11 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.268 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.29 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.38 % 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 2.92 % 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 drivers of deforestation in Benin?
- Drivers of deforestation in Benin was 225.28 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 1,318 hectares in 2003.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.84 hectares in 2015.
- How does Benin rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Benin ranks 68th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drivers of deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimates of commodity-driven deforestation, measured in hectares per year. This includes deforestation caused by the production of agricultural products and forestry, which account for approximately 90% of the world's deforestation.