Drivers of deforestation in Gabon
Gabon: Drivers of deforestation was 1,992 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Gabon, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, drivers of deforestation in Gabon stood at 1,992 hectares.
The figure is down 11.5% on the previous year and up 70.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Gabon peaked at 10,064 hectares in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1,166 hectares, in 2013.
That places Gabon 45th out of 166 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Drivers of deforestation in Gabon, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 8,836 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 8,583 hectares | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 8,450 hectares | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 7,617 hectares | -9.9% |
| 2005 | 7,474 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 7,429 hectares | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 7,111 hectares | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 8,802 hectares | +23.8% |
| 2009 | 10,064 hectares | +14.3% |
| 2010 | 7,118 hectares | -29.3% |
| 2011 | 8,880 hectares | +24.7% |
| 2012 | 5,355 hectares | -39.7% |
| 2013 | 1,166 hectares | -78.2% |
| 2014 | 2,846 hectares | +144.1% |
| 2015 | 2,750 hectares | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 4,825 hectares | +75.5% |
| 2017 | 4,541 hectares | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 4,531 hectares | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 2,865 hectares | -36.8% |
| 2020 | 1,976 hectares | -31.0% |
| 2021 | 1,750 hectares | -11.4% |
| 2022 | 2,250 hectares | +28.6% |
| 2023 | 1,992 hectares | -11.5% |
Gabon compared with similar countries
- Gabon's 1,992 hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.69 hectares, 26.7× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Gabon's 1,992 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 751.37 hectares, 2.7× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drivers of deforestation in Gabon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +144.1% | 1,166 hectares | 2,846 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8,263 hectares | 7,111 hectares | 10,064 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 4,488 hectares | 1,166 hectares | 8,880 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,992 hectares | 1,750 hectares | 2,250 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Gabon
More environment data for Gabon
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.43 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.219 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.09 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.06 % 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 0.6222 % 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 Gabon?
- Drivers of deforestation in Gabon was 1,992 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Gabon?
- The highest recorded value was 10,064 hectares in 2009.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Gabon?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,166 hectares in 2013.
- How does Gabon rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Gabon ranks 45th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Gabon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 70.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gabon 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.