Imported deforestation in Congo
Congo: Imported deforestation was 1,729 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Imported deforestation in Congo, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, imported deforestation in Congo stood at 1,729 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 36.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imported deforestation in Congo peaked at 27,142 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1,197 hectares, in 2005.
That places Congo 113th out of 178 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.
Imported deforestation in Congo, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1,197 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 1,549 hectares | +29.4% |
| 2007 | 4,323 hectares | +179.0% |
| 2008 | 2,350 hectares | -45.6% |
| 2009 | 2,587 hectares | +10.1% |
| 2010 | 3,422 hectares | +32.3% |
| 2011 | 4,379 hectares | +28.0% |
| 2012 | 27,142 hectares | +519.8% |
| 2013 | 2,741 hectares | -89.9% |
| 2014 | 17,184 hectares | +526.9% |
| 2015 | 8,388 hectares | -51.2% |
| 2016 | 6,643 hectares | -20.8% |
| 2017 | 5,486 hectares | -17.4% |
| 2018 | 6,739 hectares | +22.8% |
| 2019 | 6,515 hectares | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 3,772 hectares | -42.1% |
| 2021 | 5,274 hectares | +39.8% |
| 2022 | 1,849 hectares | -64.9% |
| 2023 | 1,729 hectares | -6.5% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 1,729 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2,331 hectares, 74% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Congo's 1,729 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,888 hectares, 92% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Imported deforestation in Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +526.9% | 2,741 hectares | 17,184 hectares |
| 2012 | +519.8% | 4,379 hectares | 27,142 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2,401 hectares | 1,197 hectares | 4,323 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 8,864 hectares | 2,741 hectares | 27,142 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,156 hectares | 1,729 hectares | 5,274 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 110 Azerbaijan 1,793 hectares compare
- 111 Equatorial Guinea 1,780 hectares compare
- 112 Bahamas 1,744 hectares compare
- 114 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,720 hectares compare
- 115 Palestine 1,702 hectares compare
- 116 Madagascar 1,701 hectares compare
More environment data for Congo
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -9.96 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.68 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.202 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.13 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8453 % 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 -0.4756 % 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 imported deforestation in Congo?
- Imported deforestation in Congo was 1,729 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest imported deforestation recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 27,142 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest imported deforestation recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,197 hectares in 2005.
- How does Congo rank for imported deforestation?
- Congo ranks 113th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is imported deforestation rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Imported 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
Imported deforestation is the amount of deforestation in other countries that is driven by the production of food and forestry products that are imported. This is measured in hectares.