Drivers of deforestation in Venezuela
Venezuela: Drivers of deforestation was 2,761 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Drivers of deforestation in Venezuela, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Venezuela recorded 2,761 hectares for drivers of deforestation in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is down 69.1% on the previous year and down 79.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Venezuela peaked at 46,650 hectares in 2008 and was at its lowest, 2,761 hectares, in 2023.
That places Venezuela 41st out of 166 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Drivers of deforestation in Venezuela, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 22,270 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 23,535 hectares | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 10,549 hectares | -55.2% |
| 2004 | 19,313 hectares | +83.1% |
| 2005 | 9,935 hectares | -48.6% |
| 2006 | 23,591 hectares | +137.4% |
| 2007 | 26,968 hectares | +14.3% |
| 2008 | 46,650 hectares | +73.0% |
| 2009 | 30,942 hectares | -33.7% |
| 2010 | 17,704 hectares | -42.8% |
| 2011 | 16,719 hectares | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 21,583 hectares | +29.1% |
| 2013 | 13,136 hectares | -39.1% |
| 2014 | 20,635 hectares | +57.1% |
| 2015 | 14,657 hectares | -29.0% |
| 2016 | 25,377 hectares | +73.1% |
| 2017 | 26,643 hectares | +5.0% |
| 2018 | 18,402 hectares | -30.9% |
| 2019 | 17,717 hectares | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 19,020 hectares | +7.4% |
| 2021 | 9,722 hectares | -48.9% |
| 2022 | 8,946 hectares | -8.0% |
| 2023 | 2,761 hectares | -69.1% |
Venezuela compared with similar countries
- Venezuela's 2,761 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 225.28 hectares, 12.3× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Venezuela's 2,761 hectares is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 220.38 hectares, 12.5× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23,750 hectares | 9,935 hectares | 46,650 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 19,257 hectares | 13,136 hectares | 26,643 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,112 hectares | 2,761 hectares | 19,020 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Venezuela
- 38 Central African Republic 3,096 hectares compare
- 39 South Africa 3,036 hectares compare
- 40 Cote d'Ivoire 2,974 hectares compare
- 42 Kenya 2,719 hectares compare
- 43 Malawi 2,714 hectares compare
- 44 India 2,099 hectares compare
More environment data for Venezuela
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.42 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.21 % 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 0.5848 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drivers of deforestation in Venezuela?
- Drivers of deforestation in Venezuela was 2,761 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Venezuela?
- The highest recorded value was 46,650 hectares in 2008.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Venezuela?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,761 hectares in 2023.
- How does Venezuela rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Venezuela ranks 41st out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Venezuela?
- Over the last ten years it is down 79.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Venezuela 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.