The world lost an Ireland of forest in 2025 – around 7 million hectares – a report released on Wednesday shows. 

Global forest loss slowed by 15% from the previous year, the annual Forest Declaration Assessment says, but the reprieve may prove short-lived. 

Latin America drove the improvement with a 33% deforestation drop in what has historically been the global hot spot for shrinking forests.

In contrast, the situation deteriorated in the Congo Basin in Central Africa, where 2.4 million hectares of rainforest were lost in 2025, bringing forest loss there close to the Amazon's level for the first time.

The Congo Basin holds the world's second-largest tropical rainforest, after the Amazon.

Sam Nguiffo, a lawyer and founder of the Centre for Environment and Development in Cameroon, said forest clearing for agriculture and mineral extraction was widespread in Central Africa. He warned that the rate of rainforest loss in the Congo Basin was alarming.

Erin D. Matson, a co-author of the report, told a media briefing that the slowdown was encouraging, but should not yet be regarded as a lasting trend.

"So far, this is an exception rather than a new trend," Matson said.

The report also warned that an exceptionally strong El Nino expected in 2026-2027 could increase drought and wildfire risks across tropical forest regions.

(With input from APF)