Brazil Achieves Significant Reduction in Deforestation in 2025, Falling Below 1 Million Hectares

In 2025, Brazil witnessed a notable decline in deforestation, with native vegetation loss dropping below 1 million hectares for the first time since 2019. Total deforestation registered at 984,794 hectares, marking a 20.6% decrease compared to 2024. This achievement reflects concerted efforts across the country and a positive shift in forest conservation trends.

All Brazilian biomes experienced reductions in deforested areas. The Pantanal biome showed the most dramatic proportional decrease, with a 48.4% reduction from the previous year. Despite this, the Cerrado remained the biome most affected by deforestation, accounting for 540,614 hectares or 54.9% of the total, though this figure reflects a 16.9% drop from 2024. The Amazon biome also saw significant improvements, with 289,478 hectares lost—down 23.5% from 2024.

Agricultural expansion remains the primary driver behind deforestation, responsible for over 97% of native vegetation loss in the last seven years. Regional analysis highlights that the MATOPIBA region, covering Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia, alongside Mato Grosso, contributed to more than 63% of Brazil’s total deforestation in 2025. The municipality of Canto do Buriti in Piauí recorded the highest deforested area, with 20,877 hectares cleared.

Conservation efforts appear effective, with Conservation Units and Indigenous Lands experiencing lower deforestation rates. Protected areas recorded 46,257 hectares cleared, representing a 21.4% reduction compared to 2024. Over the past seven years, Brazil has lost more than 10.9 million hectares of native vegetation—comparable to the size of the state of Pernambuco—with a daily average deforestation equivalent to 17 Ibirapuera parks.

These figures highlight a critical and ongoing challenge for Brazil's environmental policies but also demonstrate important progress towards sustainable forest management and protection of vital ecosystems.