Imported deforestation in Nepal
Nepal: Imported deforestation was 2,904 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Imported deforestation in Nepal, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 2,904 hectares for imported deforestation in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 322.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imported deforestation in Nepal peaked at 2,957 hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 439.78 hectares, in 2005.
Nepal ranks 77th of 178 countries on this measure, 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 Nepal, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 439.78 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 506.66 hectares | +15.2% |
| 2007 | 651.36 hectares | +28.6% |
| 2008 | 546.05 hectares | -16.2% |
| 2009 | 688.2 hectares | +26.0% |
| 2010 | 726.08 hectares | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 618.5 hectares | -14.8% |
| 2012 | 647.18 hectares | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 687.23 hectares | +6.2% |
| 2014 | 895.26 hectares | +30.3% |
| 2015 | 1,009 hectares | +12.7% |
| 2016 | 1,866 hectares | +84.9% |
| 2017 | 1,257 hectares | -32.6% |
| 2018 | 1,534 hectares | +22.0% |
| 2019 | 1,653 hectares | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 1,174 hectares | -29.0% |
| 2021 | 1,446 hectares | +23.1% |
| 2022 | 2,957 hectares | +104.6% |
| 2023 | 2,904 hectares | -1.8% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 2,904 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2,331 hectares, 1.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 2,904 hectares is below the median for South Asia, which is 4,597 hectares, 63% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 566.41 hectares | 439.78 hectares | 688.2 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 1,089 hectares | 618.5 hectares | 1,866 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,120 hectares | 1,174 hectares | 2,957 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More environment data for Nepal
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.41 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.265 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.54 % 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 -6.53 % 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 Nepal?
- Imported deforestation in Nepal was 2,904 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest imported deforestation recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 2,957 hectares in 2022.
- What is the lowest imported deforestation recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 439.78 hectares in 2005.
- How does Nepal rank for imported deforestation?
- Nepal ranks 77th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is imported deforestation rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 322.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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.