Drivers of deforestation in India
India: Drivers of deforestation was 2,099 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in India, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
India recorded 2,099 hectares for drivers of deforestation in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 36.0% on the previous year and down 89.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in India peaked at 139,942 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 736.6 hectares, in 2006.
That places India 44th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17,263 hectares | 736.6 hectares | 47,527 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 55,861 hectares | 1,755 hectares | 139,942 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,257 hectares | 1,389 hectares | 3,282 hectares | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
More environment data for India
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 4,371 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 3.01 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 572.27 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 37.74 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 108.11 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 4.39 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 861.61 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 1.01 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 2.4 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 135.23 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drivers of deforestation in India?
- Drivers of deforestation in India was 2,099 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 139,942 hectares in 2017.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 736.6 hectares in 2006.
- How does India rank for drivers of deforestation?
- India ranks 44th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 89.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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 — 22 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.