Last year, the world lost a forest the size of Denmark. However, this was actually good news. Tropical rainforest loss fell 36% in 2025, dropping to 4.3 million hectares according to Global Forest Watch, which uses satellite data from the University of Maryland's GLAD Lab. The progress comes almost entirely from Brazil, where President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva strengthened anti-deforestation efforts. Brazil's primary forest loss fell 42%, the lowest level ever recorded. The government's environmental agency IBAMA issued 81% more violation notices between 2023 and 2025 compared to the previous three years.
However, Indonesia moved in the opposite direction. The world's largest palm oil producer saw deforestation surge 66% to 433,751 hectares, the worst year in eight years. Indonesian NGO Auriga Nusantara blames two political changes: a 2020 law that removed forest protection requirements, and President Prabowo Subianto's food self-sufficiency policy since October 2024. The government allocated 20.6 million hectares for food and energy programs, clearing vast areas of forest.
Globally, tree cover loss reached 25.5 million hectares in 2025, with fires causing 42% of the damage. Canada experienced its second-worst fire year with 5.3 million hectares burned. Bolivia became the world's second-worst deforester. Experts warn that current rates remain 70% too high to meet 2030 climate goals. The situation remains precarious despite Brazil's encouraging progress.