How Deforestation Impacts Our Planet: The Shocking Numbers
By Sonia Giuffrida · 3 Dec 2025 in Green living
Roughly 15 billion trees are lost every year — about 50 soccer fields of forest every minute — driven mainly by agriculture, logging and urbanisation. The shocking numbers translate into lost biodiversity, destabilised climate and reduced capacity to absorb the CO₂ we emit.
Deforestation by the numbers
- ~15 billion trees lost per year — versus far fewer replanted.
- ~50 soccer fields per minute of forest cleared.
- ~10% of global emissions linked to deforestation and land-use change.
- Tropical forests hit hardest — the Amazon and Southeast Asia lead the losses.
What the numbers mean
Forests regulate climate, host most terrestrial biodiversity, anchor soil and drive water cycles. Every hectare cleared releases stored carbon AND removes future absorption capacity — a double hit. Habitat loss pushes species toward extinction, while degraded land feeds floods, droughts and rural poverty.
Reversing the trend
The fix is twofold: protect standing forests and replant degraded land at scale. Evertreen contributes with verified reforestation projects across 14+ countries — every tree GPS-geolocated and satellite-monitored, with planting documented in the field. Plant trees, explore the projects or measure your footprint with the CO₂ calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many trees are cut down each year? Approximately 15 billion — about 50 soccer fields of forest every minute.
What causes most deforestation? Agricultural expansion above all, followed by logging and urbanisation, concentrated in tropical regions.
Can deforestation be reversed? Yes — combining forest protection with large-scale, verified reforestation; individuals and companies can fund trees directly.
