Imported deforestation in Nigeria
Nigeria: Imported deforestation was 5,345 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Imported deforestation in Nigeria, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 5,345 hectares for imported deforestation in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.4% on the previous year and down 59.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imported deforestation in Nigeria peaked at 45,782 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 3,608 hectares, in 2006.
That places Nigeria 46th 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8,141 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 3,608 hectares | -55.7% |
| 2007 | 7,531 hectares | +108.8% |
| 2008 | 11,420 hectares | +51.6% |
| 2009 | 6,599 hectares | -42.2% |
| 2010 | 10,212 hectares | +54.8% |
| 2011 | 12,190 hectares | +19.4% |
| 2012 | 45,782 hectares | +275.6% |
| 2013 | 13,190 hectares | -71.2% |
| 2014 | 15,772 hectares | +19.6% |
| 2015 | 10,683 hectares | -32.3% |
| 2016 | 8,266 hectares | -22.6% |
| 2017 | 9,190 hectares | +11.2% |
| 2018 | 9,678 hectares | +5.3% |
| 2019 | 11,745 hectares | +21.4% |
| 2020 | 9,195 hectares | -21.7% |
| 2021 | 6,357 hectares | -30.9% |
| 2022 | 6,032 hectares | -5.1% |
| 2023 | 5,345 hectares | -11.4% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 5,345 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2,331 hectares, 2.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 5,345 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,888 hectares, 2.8× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Imported deforestation in Nigeria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +275.6% | 12,190 hectares | 45,782 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7,460 hectares | 3,608 hectares | 11,420 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 14,671 hectares | 8,266 hectares | 45,782 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,732 hectares | 5,345 hectares | 9,195 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
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 imported deforestation in Nigeria?
- Imported deforestation in Nigeria was 5,345 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest imported deforestation recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 45,782 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest imported deforestation recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,608 hectares in 2006.
- How does Nigeria rank for imported deforestation?
- Nigeria ranks 46th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is imported deforestation rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.5%. 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 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.