Satellite data shows Amazon deforestation in Brazil fell 41.8% in the year to July 2026, the biggest drop since records began in 1988. Brazil’s government says deforestation rates in the Amazon and the Cerrado savanna have reached record lows.
The Cerrado recorded a 23.8% fall. The figures come ahead of a presidential run-off on 25 October between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Polls suggest a close race, with the rainforest’s future a key issue.
Amazon forest loss had risen under Jair Bolsonaro. Lula has since tightened environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging, and has pledged to end Amazon deforestation by 2030. Flavio Bolsonaro is expected to continue his father’s policies if elected, though he has promised to fight organised crime in the Amazon.
About 60% of the Amazon rainforest lies in Brazil. When healthy, tropical rainforests absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, helping to limit climate change.
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