Drivers of deforestation in Portugal
Portugal: Drivers of deforestation was 250.15 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Portugal, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, drivers of deforestation in Portugal stood at 250.15 hectares.
That represents a change of down 16.6% on the previous year and down 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Portugal peaked at 1,572 hectares in 2004 and was at its lowest, 213.23 hectares, in 2011.
That places Portugal 66th 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 Portugal, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 608.76 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 698.98 hectares | +14.8% |
| 2003 | 436.23 hectares | -37.6% |
| 2004 | 1,572 hectares | +260.3% |
| 2005 | 574.85 hectares | -63.4% |
| 2006 | 688.98 hectares | +19.9% |
| 2007 | 425.57 hectares | -38.2% |
| 2008 | 633.56 hectares | +48.9% |
| 2009 | 721.85 hectares | +13.9% |
| 2010 | 265.08 hectares | -63.3% |
| 2011 | 213.23 hectares | -19.6% |
| 2012 | 446.62 hectares | +109.5% |
| 2013 | 334.04 hectares | -25.2% |
| 2014 | 490.43 hectares | +46.8% |
| 2015 | 519.68 hectares | +6.0% |
| 2016 | 459.79 hectares | -11.5% |
| 2017 | 291.05 hectares | -36.7% |
| 2018 | 403.63 hectares | +38.7% |
| 2019 | 428.47 hectares | +6.2% |
| 2020 | 571.88 hectares | +33.5% |
| 2021 | 404.78 hectares | -29.2% |
| 2022 | 299.99 hectares | -25.9% |
| 2023 | 250.15 hectares | -16.6% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 250.15 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 69.88 hectares, 3.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 250.15 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 59.76 hectares, 4.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 706.72 hectares | 425.57 hectares | 1,572 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 385.2 hectares | 213.23 hectares | 519.68 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 381.7 hectares | 250.15 hectares | 571.88 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More environment data for Portugal
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.6043 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.5127 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.44 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.29 % 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 0.1607 % 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 Portugal?
- Drivers of deforestation in Portugal was 250.15 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 1,572 hectares in 2004.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 213.23 hectares in 2011.
- How does Portugal rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Portugal ranks 66th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Portugal 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.