Drivers of deforestation in Cameroon
Cameroon: Drivers of deforestation was 9,395 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Cameroon, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for drivers of deforestation in Cameroon is 9,395 hectares, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.0% on the previous year and up 54.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Cameroon peaked at 12,745 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1,156 hectares, in 2008.
Cameroon ranks 24th of 166 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Drivers of deforestation in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 7,500 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 5,185 hectares | -30.9% |
| 2003 | 4,177 hectares | -19.4% |
| 2004 | 4,329 hectares | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 3,159 hectares | -27.0% |
| 2006 | 3,290 hectares | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 1,285 hectares | -61.0% |
| 2008 | 1,156 hectares | -10.0% |
| 2009 | 1,459 hectares | +26.2% |
| 2010 | 7,986 hectares | +447.3% |
| 2011 | 7,541 hectares | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 7,862 hectares | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 6,076 hectares | -22.7% |
| 2014 | 6,242 hectares | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 4,290 hectares | -31.3% |
| 2016 | 9,597 hectares | +123.7% |
| 2017 | 12,745 hectares | +32.8% |
| 2018 | 12,742 hectares | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 9,210 hectares | -27.7% |
| 2020 | 7,277 hectares | -21.0% |
| 2021 | 8,867 hectares | +21.8% |
| 2022 | 12,039 hectares | +35.8% |
| 2023 | 9,395 hectares | -22.0% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 9,395 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 225.28 hectares, 41.7× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 9,395 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 751.37 hectares, 12.5× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drivers of deforestation in Cameroon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +447.3% | 1,459 hectares | 7,986 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3,505 hectares | 1,156 hectares | 7,500 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 8,429 hectares | 4,290 hectares | 12,745 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,395 hectares | 7,277 hectares | 12,039 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More environment data for Cameroon
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.11 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.68 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.211 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6539 % 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 0.4385 % 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 Cameroon?
- Drivers of deforestation in Cameroon was 9,395 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 12,745 hectares in 2017.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,156 hectares in 2008.
- How does Cameroon rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Cameroon ranks 24th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon 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.