Drivers of deforestation in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Drivers of deforestation was 751.37 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
751.37 hectares
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
54th
of 166 countries
All-time high
841.83 hectares
in 2020
All-time low
18.96 hectares
in 2010
Years of data
17
2004–2023

Drivers of deforestation in Sierra Leone, 2004–2023

02004006008002004201320232004: 126.1 hectares2005: 207.2 hectares2006: 833.5 hectares2009: 37.9 hectares2010: 19 hectares2011: 832.3 hectares2013: 410.7 hectares2014: 603.3 hectares2015: 544 hectares2016: 632.1 hectares2017: 342.8 hectares2018: 351.6 hectares2019: 351.9 hectares2020: 841.8 hectares2021: 806.5 hectares2022: 730.8 hectares2023: 751.4 hectares

Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

The most recent figure for drivers of deforestation in Sierra Leone is 751.37 hectares, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 83.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Sierra Leone peaked at 841.83 hectares in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.96 hectares, in 2010.

That places Sierra Leone 54th 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 301.17 hectares 37.92 hectares 833.45 hectares 4
2010s 454.18 hectares 18.96 hectares 832.34 hectares 9
2020s 782.61 hectares 730.76 hectares 841.83 hectares 4

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 51 South Sudan 1,009 hectares compare
  2. 52 Spain 836.77 hectares compare
  3. 53 French Guiana 798.85 hectares compare
  4. 55 Guinea 622.32 hectares compare
  5. 56 Panama 566.52 hectares compare
  6. 57 Romania 559.24 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More environment data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is drivers of deforestation in Sierra Leone?
Drivers of deforestation in Sierra Leone was 751.37 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 841.83 hectares in 2020.
What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 18.96 hectares in 2010.
How does Sierra Leone rank for drivers of deforestation?
Sierra Leone ranks 54th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is up 83.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sierra Leone 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 — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Drivers of deforestation
Unit
hectares
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 2,829 data points, 2001–2023
Last refreshed

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.