Brazil's Amazon deforestation falls to its lowest recorded level
Brazil has cut Amazon forest clearance to a record low, but how far is that from ending illegal deforestation?
On October 16, Brazil released satellite figures showing Amazon deforestation fell to 3,335 square kilometres in the year through July 2026.
Brazil's Amazon lost 3,335 square kilometres of forest from August 2025 through July 2026, the lowest annual total since records began in 1988, according to official satellite data. [4][5] Clearance was about 42 percent lower than a year earlier and below the previous record low of 4,571 square kil…
Brazil's Amazon lost 3,335 square kilometres of forest from August 2025 through July 2026, the lowest annual total since records began in 1988, according to official satellite data. [4][5] Clearance was about 42 percent lower than a year earlier and below the previous record low of 4,571 square kilometres in 2011-12. [4] AFP attributes the decline to greater monitoring and stiffer penalties for illegal logging, while President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated his goal of zero illegal deforestation by 2030. [4]
Why it matters: The figures show a substantial reduction in annual forest loss rather than simply a new pledge: deforestation has fallen every year since 2022 and is down 71.2 percent over four years. [4] The distinction still matters between reducing total clearance and meeting Lula's narrower commitment to end illegal deforestation. [4]
Key insights: The new annual total is 1,236 square kilometres below the previous record low of 4,571 square kilometres. [4] | The Prodes satellite programme measures August through July because cloud cover is lower around mid-year; this is not a calendar-year total. [4] | The Cerrado also recorded a decline: clearance fell about 24 percent to 5,517 square kilometres, its lowest recorded level since 2001. [4] | The release comes days before a presidential run-off, giving the environmental results an immediate political context as well as a conservation significance. [4]
Cheatsheet facts: What happened: Amazon forest clearance fell to 3,335 square kilometres in August 2025–July 2026, the lowest annual figure since records began in 1988. [4][5] | Why: AFP attributes the decline to greater monitoring and tougher penalties for illegal logging. [4] | The catch: A record low still means 3,335 square kilometres were cleared; Lula's stated goal is zero illegal deforestation by 2030, not zero total clearance. [4] | What's next: The stated policy benchmark is zero illegal deforestation by 2030; the current annual clearance figure is about 42 percent below the previous year's. [4]