Drivers of deforestation in Myanmar
Myanmar: Drivers of deforestation was 25,925 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Myanmar, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Myanmar recorded 25,925 hectares for drivers of deforestation in 2023.
That represents a change of down 20.7% on the previous year and up 361.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Myanmar peaked at 89,181 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 2,779 hectares, in 2005.
Myanmar ranks 12th of 166 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Drivers of deforestation in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 15,576 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 14,327 hectares | -8.0% |
| 2003 | 9,784 hectares | -31.7% |
| 2004 | 7,693 hectares | -21.4% |
| 2005 | 2,779 hectares | -63.9% |
| 2006 | 4,501 hectares | +62.0% |
| 2007 | 8,274 hectares | +83.8% |
| 2008 | 11,199 hectares | +35.3% |
| 2009 | 17,395 hectares | +55.3% |
| 2010 | 14,772 hectares | -15.1% |
| 2011 | 11,853 hectares | -19.8% |
| 2012 | 8,773 hectares | -26.0% |
| 2013 | 5,621 hectares | -35.9% |
| 2014 | 80,332 hectares | +1329.1% |
| 2015 | 81,836 hectares | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 89,181 hectares | +9.0% |
| 2017 | 29,360 hectares | -67.1% |
| 2018 | 30,582 hectares | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 28,571 hectares | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 22,268 hectares | -22.1% |
| 2021 | 22,796 hectares | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 32,711 hectares | +43.5% |
| 2023 | 25,925 hectares | -20.7% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 25,925 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 225.28 hectares, 115.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 25,925 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4,457 hectares, 5.8× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drivers of deforestation in Myanmar 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 | +1329.1% | 5,621 hectares | 80,332 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10,170 hectares | 2,779 hectares | 17,395 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 38,088 hectares | 5,621 hectares | 89,181 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 25,925 hectares | 22,268 hectares | 32,711 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
More environment data for Myanmar
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.016 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.9805 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.243 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.3823 % 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 -0.7174 % 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 Myanmar?
- Drivers of deforestation in Myanmar was 25,925 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 89,181 hectares in 2016.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,779 hectares in 2005.
- How does Myanmar rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Myanmar ranks 12th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 361.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.