Imported deforestation in Congo

Congo: Imported deforestation was 1,729 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1,729 hectares
Change on year
down 6.5%
World rank
113th
of 178 countries
All-time high
27,142 hectares
in 2012
All-time low
1,197 hectares
in 2005
Years of data
19
2005–2023

Imported deforestation in Congo, 2005–2023

010.0k20.0k30.0k2005201420232005: 1.2k hectares2006: 1.5k hectares2007: 4.3k hectares2008: 2.3k hectares2009: 2.6k hectares2010: 3.4k hectares2011: 4.4k hectares2012: 27.1k hectares2013: 2.7k hectares2014: 17.2k hectares2015: 8.4k hectares2016: 6.6k hectares2017: 5.5k hectares2018: 6.7k hectares2019: 6.5k hectares2020: 3.8k hectares2021: 5.3k hectares2022: 1.8k hectares2023: 1.7k hectares

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 110 Azerbaijan 1,793 hectares compare
  2. 111 Equatorial Guinea 1,780 hectares compare
  3. 112 Bahamas 1,744 hectares compare
  4. 114 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,720 hectares compare
  5. 115 Palestine 1,702 hectares compare
  6. 116 Madagascar 1,701 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for Congo

All data for Congo →

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

Indicator
Imported deforestation
Unit
hectares
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
178 places, 3,320 data points, 2005–2023
Last refreshed

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.