The tropics lost a record-shattering 6.7 million hectares of primary rainforest in 2024, an area nearly the size of Panama.

Tropical primary forest disappeared at a rate of 18 football fields per minute in 2024 — nearly double that of 2023. These are some of the most important forest ecosystems, critical for livelihoods, carbon storage, water provision, biodiversity and more. Their loss in 2024 alone caused 3.1 gigatonnes (Gt) of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to slightly more than the annual CO2 emissions from India’s fossil fuel use.

To halt and reverse forest loss by 2030, annual forest loss will need to fall by 20% each year from 2024 levels.

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