Exported deforestation in Nigeria
Nigeria: Exported deforestation was 7,031 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Exported deforestation in Nigeria, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 7,031 hectares for exported deforestation in 2023. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 590.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exported deforestation in Nigeria peaked at 7,031 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 779.87 hectares, in 2016.
That places Nigeria 27th 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 884.67 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 1,835 hectares | +107.5% |
| 2007 | 1,012 hectares | -44.8% |
| 2008 | 1,542 hectares | +52.3% |
| 2009 | 1,099 hectares | -28.8% |
| 2010 | 1,476 hectares | +34.3% |
| 2011 | 1,382 hectares | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 3,398 hectares | +145.8% |
| 2013 | 1,018 hectares | -70.0% |
| 2014 | 2,512 hectares | +146.7% |
| 2015 | 845.51 hectares | -66.3% |
| 2016 | 779.87 hectares | -7.8% |
| 2017 | 2,403 hectares | +208.1% |
| 2018 | 4,292 hectares | +78.6% |
| 2019 | 4,929 hectares | +14.8% |
| 2020 | 1,797 hectares | -63.6% |
| 2021 | 3,495 hectares | +94.5% |
| 2022 | 6,846 hectares | +95.9% |
| 2023 | 7,031 hectares | +2.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 7,031 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 183.42 hectares, 38.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 7,031 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 578.35 hectares, 12.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,275 hectares | 884.67 hectares | 1,835 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 2,304 hectares | 779.87 hectares | 4,929 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,792 hectares | 1,797 hectares | 7,031 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 24 Cameroon 8,800 hectares compare
- 25 Cambodia 7,948 hectares compare
- 26 United States 7,443 hectares compare
- 28 Nicaragua 7,023 hectares compare
- 29 Madagascar 6,648 hectares compare
- 30 Mozambique 6,151 hectares compare
More environment data for Nigeria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.07 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.281 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.78 % 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 0.4617 % 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 Nigeria?
- Exported deforestation in Nigeria was 7,031 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exported deforestation recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 7,031 hectares in 2023.
- What is the lowest exported deforestation recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 779.87 hectares in 2016.
- How does Nigeria rank for exported deforestation?
- Nigeria ranks 27th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exported deforestation rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 590.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.