Global tropical forest loss fell sharply in 2025 after reaching record levels the previous year, according to new data from the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland Global Land Analysis and Discovery laboratory.
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The analysis found that the loss of mature tropical rainforest declined by 36% year-on-year. Despite the improvement, the world still lost 10.6 million acres of rainforest in 2025 — equivalent to an area roughly the size of Denmark.
Researchers said forest loss remains around 46% higher than a decade ago and still far above levels required to meet the international pledge made at COP26 to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.
Agricultural expansion continued to be the primary driver of forest destruction across tropical regions. In Brazil and Bolivia, cattle ranching and soy production remained key pressures, while crops including coca and palm oil contributed to losses in countries such as Peru and Laos.
The report also highlighted the increasing role of climate-related wildfires. Outside the tropics, Canada experienced its second-worst wildfire season on record, with fires burning 13 million acres, while France recorded its most severe fire-driven tree-cover loss to date.
Brazil, home to most of the Amazon Rainforest, recorded the largest absolute area of primary forest loss globally but reduced losses by 42% compared with 2024. Researchers attributed the improvement partly to stronger environmental enforcement policies under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The report warned that hotter temperatures, prolonged droughts and ongoing geopolitical and economic pressures continue to place global forest ecosystems under significant threat.
Source: www.globalwood.org
