Brazilian Amazon deforestation drops to record low level

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped to the lowest level on record in the 12 months ending July 31, 2026. Mongabay and Alabama's 42 both reported that forest loss fell to a record low, with Alabama's 42 noting it was the lowest level since 1988. [1][2][3]

Data released by Brazil's national space research institute, INPE, shows that forest clearing in the region totalled 3,335 square kilometers over the 12-month period. Mongabay reported that this area is equivalent to 1,288 square miles, which is smaller than the Spanish island of Mallorca. [1][2]

The Amazon rainforest spans an area of 3,000,000 square kilometers and represents over half of the tropical rainforests on the planet. Brazil contains 60 percent of the Amazon region, while other portions are located across eight additional nations. [6]

Indigenous territories account for more than one-third of the Amazon rainforest, spanning over 3,344 formally acknowledged regions. Historically, indigenous Amazonian communities rely on the forest ecosystem for their daily sustenance and needs. [6]