Drivers of deforestation in Congo
Congo: Drivers of deforestation was 4,496 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in 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 Congo is 4,496 hectares, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 36.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Congo peaked at 6,810 hectares in 2021 and was at its lowest, 497.96 hectares, in 2008.
Congo ranks 34th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 880.47 hectares | 497.96 hectares | 1,755 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 2,098 hectares | 911.11 hectares | 3,398 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,677 hectares | 2,906 hectares | 6,810 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More environment data for Congo
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 24.62 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 3.89 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 0.4604 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.4601 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 13.3 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0013 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 14.96 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0052 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0073 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 0.7254 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drivers of deforestation in Congo?
- Drivers of deforestation in Congo was 4,496 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 6,810 hectares in 2021.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 497.96 hectares in 2008.
- How does Congo rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Congo ranks 34th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.8%. 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 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.