Global forest loss rose to ‘record highs’ in 2024, data shows

Global forest loss reached unprecedented levels in 2024, largely due to a rise in wildfires, new data from the University of Maryland’s GLAD Lab has found.

According to the data, which was published on World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch platform, some 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forests were lost during 2024, almost double the previous year.

This equates to an area roughly the size of Panama, with an rate of 18 soccer fields lost every minute.

Last year marked the first time that fires overtook agriculture as the leading cause of forest loss in tropical regions, accounting for around half of all destruction, up from 20% in previous years.

Fires contributing to forest loss emitted around 4.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions last year, the data showed, which is four times the emissions from all air travel during 2023. These fires were worsened by extreme droughts and climate change-driven conditions like El Niño.

‘A global red alert’

“This level of forest loss is unlike anything we’ve seen in over 20 years of data,” commented Elizabeth Goldman, co-director, WRI’s Global Forest Watch. “It’s a global red alert — a collective call to action for every country, every business and every person who cares about a livable planet. Our economies, our communities, our health — none of it can survive without forests.”

Brazil, which is home to the world’s largest tropical forest area, accounted for 42% of all forest loss last year, with drought conditions leading to worsening destruction. Fires accounted for 66% of the country’s losses, a sixfold increase on 2023.

“Brazil has made progress under President Lula — but the threat to forests remains,” added Mariana Oliveira, director, Forests and Land Use Program, WRI Brasil. “Without sustained investment in community fire prevention, stronger state-level enforcement and a focus on sustainable land use, hard-won gains risk being undone.”

Other countries to see notable increase in forest loss included Bolivia, which recorded a 200% increase in losses, much of it fire-related, driven by policies encouraging agricultural expansion for soy, cattle, and sugar cane.

Elsewhere, Colombia experienced a 50% rise in forest loss, mostly from illegal mining and coca production, while the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Congo (ROC) saw the highest levels of primary forest loss on record.

Reduction in forest loss

Some areas managed to see a reduction in forest loss, however, with Indonesia reducing primary forest loss by 11% due to efforts to curb fires and restore land, and Malaysia also seeing a decline in losses.

Overall, global tree cover loss rose by 5% during the year, or 30 million hectares – equivalent to an area the size of Italy.

“2024 was the worst year on record for fire-driven forest loss, breaking the record set just last year,” noted Peter Potapov, research professor, University of Maryland; Co-Director, Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) Lab.

“If this trend continues, it could permanently transform critical natural areas and unleash large amounts of carbon — intensifying climate change and fueling even more extreme fires. This is a dangerous feedback loop we cannot afford to trigger further.” Read more here.