Global deforestation fell in 2025, but Congo Basin losses surged
Quick Look
Deforestation decreased by 15% worldwide in 2025, with seven million hectares lost — roughly the size of Ireland — but experts warn progress is fragile due to worsening conditions in Central Africa and an intense El Nino pattern, putting the 2030 zero-deforestation goal at risk.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The world pledged to end deforestation by 2030, but progress has been inconsistent. The 2025 decline follows previous years of high forest loss, driven by agricultural expansion, logging, and fires.
Deforestation slowed worldwide last year, but the improvement is unlikely to last as the situation deteriorates in Central Africa and an exceptionally strong El Nino weather pattern intensifies, a new study said on Wednesday.
Seven million hectares of forest – roughly the size of the Republic of Ireland – were permanently destroyed in 2025, a 15 per cent drop from the previous year, according to the annual Forest Declaration Assessment.
The slowdown, however, is not enough to keep the world from missing a pledge to end deforestation by 2030, according to the report, which was drafted by a coalition of research groups and non-governmental organisations.
The 2025 figure is “encouraging but so far it’s the exception, not a new trajectory”, Erin Matson, the study’s co-author and lead consultant at advisory group Climate Focus, said in a media briefing.
Open Questions
- What specific policies or actions caused the 15% drop in deforestation in 2025?
- How will the El Nino pattern affect forest loss in 2026 and beyond?
- What measures are being taken in Central Africa to reverse the worsening deforestation trend?
