Drivers of deforestation in Ecuador

Ecuador: Drivers of deforestation was 4,810 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
4,810 hectares
Change on year
up 41,435.1%
World rank
31st
of 166 countries
All-time high
14,728 hectares
in 2020
All-time low
4 hectares
in 2021
Years of data
23
2001–2023

Drivers of deforestation in Ecuador, 2001–2023

05.0k10.0k15.0k2001201220232001: 9.8k hectares2002: 13.8k hectares2003: 6.1k hectares2004: 5.0k hectares2005: 40.6 hectares2006: 2.0k hectares2007: 38.5 hectares2008: 8.9 hectares2009: 7.7k hectares2010: 37.2 hectares2011: 25.4 hectares2012: 44.8 hectares2013: 14.9 hectares2014: 7.3k hectares2015: 16.7 hectares2016: 33.1 hectares2017: 29.8 hectares2018: 8.9 hectares2019: 11.2k hectares2020: 14.7k hectares2021: 4 hectares2022: 11.6 hectares2023: 4.8k hectares

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for drivers of deforestation in Ecuador is 4,810 hectares, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 41,435.1% on the previous year and up 32,245.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Ecuador peaked at 14,728 hectares in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4 hectares, in 2021.

That places Ecuador 31st out of 166 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4,945 hectares 8.93 hectares 13,821 hectares 9
2010s 1,874 hectares 8.89 hectares 11,216 hectares 10
2020s 4,888 hectares 4 hectares 14,728 hectares 4

Countries ranked near Ecuador

  1. 28 Indonesia 8,084 hectares compare
  2. 29 Guatemala 7,489 hectares compare
  3. 30 Philippines 5,059 hectares compare
  4. 32 Uganda 4,678 hectares compare
  5. 33 Papua New Guinea 4,645 hectares compare
  6. 34 Congo 4,496 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More environment data for Ecuador

All data for Ecuador →

Frequently asked questions

What is drivers of deforestation in Ecuador?
Drivers of deforestation in Ecuador was 4,810 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Ecuador?
The highest recorded value was 14,728 hectares in 2020.
What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Ecuador?
The lowest recorded value was 4 hectares in 2021.
How does Ecuador rank for drivers of deforestation?
Ecuador ranks 31st out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Ecuador?
Over the last ten years it is up 32,245.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ecuador 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

Indicator
Drivers of deforestation
Unit
hectares
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 2,829 data points, 2001–2023
Last refreshed

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.