Drivers of deforestation in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Drivers of deforestation was 58.41 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Sri Lanka, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for drivers of deforestation in Sri Lanka is 58.41 hectares, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 140.2% on the previous year and down 96.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Sri Lanka peaked at 2,949 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 24.32 hectares, in 2022.
Sri Lanka ranks 94th of 166 countries on this measure, 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 | 367.86 hectares | 91.42 hectares | 2,005 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 1,161 hectares | 142.88 hectares | 2,949 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.67 hectares | 24.32 hectares | 102.22 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 37.17 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.7 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 5.57 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.6851 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.0046 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0737 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 11.12 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0059 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0632 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 4.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drivers of deforestation in Sri Lanka?
- Drivers of deforestation in Sri Lanka was 58.41 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 2,949 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.32 hectares in 2022.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Sri Lanka ranks 94th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 96.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.