Exported deforestation in India
India: Exported deforestation was 28,549 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Exported deforestation in India, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for exported deforestation in India is 28,549 hectares, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 4.3% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exported deforestation in India peaked at 50,648 hectares in 2018 and was at its lowest, 17,373 hectares, in 2005.
That places India 12th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Exported deforestation in India, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 17,373 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 17,723 hectares | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 19,343 hectares | +9.1% |
| 2008 | 22,691 hectares | +17.3% |
| 2009 | 19,279 hectares | -15.0% |
| 2010 | 19,681 hectares | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 23,945 hectares | +21.7% |
| 2012 | 25,379 hectares | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 28,428 hectares | +12.0% |
| 2014 | 32,081 hectares | +12.8% |
| 2015 | 34,902 hectares | +8.8% |
| 2016 | 41,390 hectares | +18.6% |
| 2017 | 47,901 hectares | +15.7% |
| 2018 | 50,648 hectares | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 47,824 hectares | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 45,315 hectares | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 44,334 hectares | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 29,843 hectares | -32.7% |
| 2023 | 28,549 hectares | -4.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 28,549 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 183.42 hectares, 155.6× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- India's 28,549 hectares is above the median for South Asia, which is 188.76 hectares, 151.2× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19,282 hectares | 17,373 hectares | 22,691 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 35,218 hectares | 19,681 hectares | 50,648 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 37,010 hectares | 28,549 hectares | 45,315 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.92 % 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 1.12 % 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 India?
- Exported deforestation in India was 28,549 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exported deforestation recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 50,648 hectares in 2018.
- What is the lowest exported deforestation recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,373 hectares in 2005.
- How does India rank for exported deforestation?
- India ranks 12th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exported deforestation rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.