Drivers of deforestation in Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Drivers of deforestation was 3,549 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
3,549 hectares
Change on year
up 196.6%
World rank
36th
of 166 countries
All-time high
3,627 hectares
in 2021
All-time low
62.09 hectares
in 2003
Years of data
23
2001–2023

Drivers of deforestation in Ethiopia, 2001–2023

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k2001201220232001: 76.8 hectares2002: 72.5 hectares2003: 62.1 hectares2004: 80.9 hectares2005: 191.3 hectares2006: 234.2 hectares2007: 417.7 hectares2008: 181 hectares2009: 235.8 hectares2010: 161.4 hectares2011: 120.9 hectares2012: 245.5 hectares2013: 226 hectares2014: 410.3 hectares2015: 83.6 hectares2016: 308.5 hectares2017: 519.6 hectares2018: 240.1 hectares2019: 682 hectares2020: 891.4 hectares2021: 3.6k hectares2022: 1.2k hectares2023: 3.5k hectares

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

Analysis

Ethiopia recorded 3,549 hectares for drivers of deforestation in 2023.

The figure is up 196.6% on the previous year and up 1,470.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Ethiopia peaked at 3,627 hectares in 2021 and was at its lowest, 62.09 hectares, in 2003.

That places Ethiopia 36th 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 172.48 hectares 62.09 hectares 417.73 hectares 9
2010s 299.81 hectares 83.58 hectares 682.04 hectares 10
2020s 2,316 hectares 891.4 hectares 3,627 hectares 4

Countries ranked near Ethiopia

  1. 33 Papua New Guinea 4,645 hectares compare
  2. 34 Congo 4,496 hectares compare
  3. 35 Australia 4,457 hectares compare
  4. 37 Canada 3,237 hectares compare
  5. 38 Central African Republic 3,096 hectares compare
  6. 39 South Africa 3,036 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More environment data for Ethiopia

All data for Ethiopia →

Frequently asked questions

What is drivers of deforestation in Ethiopia?
Drivers of deforestation in Ethiopia was 3,549 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Ethiopia?
The highest recorded value was 3,627 hectares in 2021.
What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Ethiopia?
The lowest recorded value was 62.09 hectares in 2003.
How does Ethiopia rank for drivers of deforestation?
Ethiopia ranks 36th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Ethiopia?
Over the last ten years it is up 1,470.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ethiopia 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.