Drivers of deforestation in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Drivers of deforestation was 443.69 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Drivers of deforestation in Zimbabwe, 2001–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 443.69 hectares for drivers of deforestation in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and up 106.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drivers of deforestation in Zimbabwe peaked at 2,999 hectares in 2009 and was at its lowest, 180.23 hectares, in 2015.
That places Zimbabwe 59th 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 Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,858 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 1,708 hectares | -8.0% |
| 2003 | 717.89 hectares | -58.0% |
| 2004 | 434.82 hectares | -39.4% |
| 2005 | 552.85 hectares | +27.1% |
| 2006 | 1,236 hectares | +123.6% |
| 2007 | 1,783 hectares | +44.3% |
| 2008 | 858.37 hectares | -51.9% |
| 2009 | 2,999 hectares | +249.4% |
| 2010 | 401.19 hectares | -86.6% |
| 2011 | 1,007 hectares | +151.1% |
| 2012 | 757.17 hectares | -24.8% |
| 2013 | 214.86 hectares | -71.6% |
| 2014 | 184.75 hectares | -14.0% |
| 2015 | 180.23 hectares | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 212.98 hectares | +18.2% |
| 2017 | 656.31 hectares | +208.2% |
| 2018 | 363.98 hectares | -44.5% |
| 2019 | 639.96 hectares | +75.8% |
| 2020 | 444.61 hectares | -30.5% |
| 2021 | 699.28 hectares | +57.3% |
| 2022 | 449.32 hectares | -35.7% |
| 2023 | 443.69 hectares | -1.3% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 443.69 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 225.28 hectares, 2.0× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 443.69 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 751.37 hectares, 59% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,350 hectares | 434.82 hectares | 2,999 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 461.88 hectares | 180.23 hectares | 1,007 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 509.23 hectares | 443.69 hectares | 699.28 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More environment data for Zimbabwe
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.93 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 3.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.311 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.06 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.19 % 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 1.53 % 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 Zimbabwe?
- Drivers of deforestation in Zimbabwe was 443.69 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drivers of deforestation recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 2,999 hectares in 2009.
- What is the lowest drivers of deforestation recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 180.23 hectares in 2015.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for drivers of deforestation?
- Zimbabwe ranks 59th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is drivers of deforestation rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 106.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.