Drivers of deforestation in Ireland
Ireland: Drivers of deforestation was 30.06 hectares in 2017. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Ireland, 2004–2017
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 30.06 hectares for drivers of deforestation in 2017.
The figure is up 39.7% on the previous year and down 93.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Ireland peaked at 885.78 hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 21.52 hectares, in 2016.
That places Ireland 103rd out of 166 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
Drivers of deforestation in Ireland, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 506.49 hectares | — |
| 2005 | 885.78 hectares | +74.9% |
| 2006 | 622.34 hectares | -29.7% |
| 2007 | 451.09 hectares | -27.5% |
| 2013 | 21.89 hectares | -95.1% |
| 2014 | 33.73 hectares | +54.1% |
| 2015 | 22.33 hectares | -33.8% |
| 2016 | 21.52 hectares | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 30.06 hectares | +39.7% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 30.06 hectares is below the median for high income countries, which is 69.88 hectares, 43% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 30.06 hectares is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 59.76 hectares, 50% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 616.42 hectares | 451.09 hectares | 885.78 hectares | 4 |
| 2010s | 25.91 hectares | 21.52 hectares | 33.73 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 100 Sudan 42.78 hectares compare
- 101 Puerto Rico 36.39 hectares compare
- 102 Austria 34.04 hectares
- 104 Georgia 25.12 hectares compare
- 105 Netherlands 22.12 hectares compare
- 106 El Salvador 21.77 hectares
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.13 % 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 -0.0083 % 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 Ireland?
- Drivers of deforestation in Ireland was 30.06 hectares in 2017, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 885.78 hectares in 2005.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.52 hectares in 2016.
- How does Ireland rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Ireland ranks 103rd out of 166 countries with data for 2017.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 93.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland 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 — 9 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.