Drivers of deforestation in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Drivers of deforestation was 44,747 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Democratic Republic of Congo, 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 Democratic Republic of Congo is 44,747 hectares, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.4% on the previous year and up 230.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 75,252 hectares in 2004 and was at its lowest, 4,614 hectares, in 2011.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 6th of 166 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 42,279 hectares | 7,728 hectares | 75,252 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 32,453 hectares | 4,614 hectares | 58,521 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 44,747 hectares | 40,338 hectares | 51,090 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More environment data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 58.49 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.5353 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 3.5 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 7.67 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 17.49 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0166 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 42.16 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0035 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.024 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 13.45 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drivers of deforestation in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Drivers of deforestation in Democratic Republic of Congo was 44,747 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 75,252 hectares in 2004.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,614 hectares in 2011.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 6th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 230.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.