Exported deforestation in Australia
Australia: Exported deforestation was 1,873 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Exported deforestation in Australia, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, exported deforestation in Australia stood at 1,873 hectares.
That represents a change of down 9.4% on the previous year and down 62.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exported deforestation in Australia peaked at 13,107 hectares in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1,672 hectares, in 2016.
That places Australia 45th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Exported deforestation in Australia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 10,162 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 11,637 hectares | +14.5% |
| 2007 | 13,107 hectares | +12.6% |
| 2008 | 11,722 hectares | -10.6% |
| 2009 | 11,457 hectares | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 12,125 hectares | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 10,826 hectares | -10.7% |
| 2012 | 7,106 hectares | -34.4% |
| 2013 | 5,009 hectares | -29.5% |
| 2014 | 2,409 hectares | -51.9% |
| 2015 | 2,029 hectares | -15.8% |
| 2016 | 1,672 hectares | -17.6% |
| 2017 | 2,509 hectares | +50.1% |
| 2018 | 3,332 hectares | +32.8% |
| 2019 | 3,726 hectares | +11.8% |
| 2020 | 3,403 hectares | -8.7% |
| 2021 | 3,446 hectares | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 2,067 hectares | -40.0% |
| 2023 | 1,873 hectares | -9.4% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1,873 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 40.55 hectares, 46.2× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1,873 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,873 hectares, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11,617 hectares | 10,162 hectares | 13,107 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 5,074 hectares | 1,672 hectares | 12,125 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,697 hectares | 1,873 hectares | 3,446 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More environment data for Australia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.75 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.345 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6708 % 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 0.0861 % 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 exported deforestation in Australia?
- Exported deforestation in Australia was 1,873 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exported deforestation recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 13,107 hectares in 2007.
- What is the lowest exported deforestation recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,672 hectares in 2016.
- How does Australia rank for exported deforestation?
- Australia ranks 45th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exported deforestation rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exported deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Exported deforestation is the amount of annual deforestation that is driven by the production of food and forestry products that are exported for consumption in other countries. This is measured in hectares.