The Amazon Basin spans about 5.5 million km² and holds extraordinary biodiversity, with around 40,000 plant species and many found throughout the basin. Its vast vegetation also influences climate and water—evapotranspiration recycles much of regional rainfall and humid air masses can travel thousands of kilometers. From carbon storage to river discharge, the page connects these processes to deforestation, drought, and resilience—shaped by governance, monitoring, and enforcement.
Key Takeaways
- 6% of the world’s freshwater flows in the Amazon Basin
- 5.5 million square kilometers of the Amazon Basin
- Approximately 60% of the Amazon rainforest’s plant species are found in the basin
- Amazon forests store about 86–140 billion metric tons of carbon
- The Amazon rainforest is responsible for roughly 20% of the world’s oxygen
- The Amazon region contributes about 1.0 GtCO2e per year from deforestation and degradation (order-of-magnitude estimate cited by Global Carbon Project/related)
- The Amazon River discharge averages about 209,000 m³/s
- The Amazon River contributes about 20% of the freshwater entering the world’s oceans
- Evapotranspiration from the Amazon rainforest recycles a substantial fraction of regional rainfall (estimated at ~50%)
- Amazon rainforest temperatures typically range from 22°C to 28°C
- Amazon rainfall seasonality varies, with some areas receiving 60–80% of annual rainfall in the wet season
- Severe droughts in the Amazon have occurred in multiple periods, including 2005, 2010, and 2015
- 5,891 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Brazil in 2023 (PRODES)
- 8,467 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Brazil in 2022 (PRODES)
- 13,038 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Brazil in 2021 (PRODES)
The Amazon Basin drives global water, carbon, and biodiversity, and deforestation continues to accelerate losses.
Related reading
01 · Category
Ecosystem & Biodiversity24 stats
01
6% of the world’s freshwater flows in the Amazon Basin
02
5.5 million square kilometers of the Amazon Basin
03
Approximately 60% of the Amazon rainforest’s plant species are found in the basin
04
40,000 plant species in the Amazon rainforest
05
1,300+ bird species in the Amazon
06
427 mammal species in the Amazon
07
2,000 fish species in the Amazon
08
3,000+ species of amphibians and reptiles in the Amazon
09
2.5 million square kilometers of Amazon rainforest (area of rainforest in the basin)
10
An estimated 10% of all known species on Earth are in the Amazon
11
Amazon wetlands and floodplains cover about 1.5 million square kilometers (approx.)
12
Amazon River basin encompasses parts of 9 countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)
13
Terra firme forests occupy most of the uplands and are not directly flooded by the Amazon River
14
Varzea forests are seasonally flooded by whitewater rivers
15
Igapó forests are seasonally flooded by blackwater rivers
16
The Amazon rainforest is part of the Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forest biome
17
Amazon riparian zones and floodplains are biodiversity hotspots, supporting high fish diversity (review)
18
Mangroves and coastal ecosystems affected by Amazon discharge have measurable salinity and nutrient gradients across large spatial scales (study)
19
Amazon rainforest leaf area index is high; typical values in tropical broadleaf forests are around 5–7
20
Amazon forests can have tree canopy height often 20–40 meters depending on forest type
21
Average Amazon rainforest canopy openness can be around 10–20% in some studies (tropical forest structure studies)
22
1 ha tropical forest plots can contain >200 tree species depending on region and sampling (tropical forest beta diversity evidence)
23
Amazon rainforest includes iconic mega-fauna such as jaguars (Panthera onca) with population densities estimated in regional studies on the order of one per tens of km² (study)
24
Giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) have been documented with population counts in study river systems often in the low hundreds of individuals (field study examples)
Interpretation
Ecosystem & Biodiversity Interpretation
With the Amazon Basin holding about 6% of the world’s freshwater and supporting roughly 40,000 plant species plus 1,300+ bird and 427 mammal species, it stands out as an ecosystem of exceptional biodiversity concentrated in a single region.
02 · Category
Carbon & Climate12 stats
01
Amazon forests store about 86–140 billion metric tons of carbon
02
The Amazon rainforest is responsible for roughly 20% of the world’s oxygen
03
The Amazon region contributes about 1.0 GtCO2e per year from deforestation and degradation (order-of-magnitude estimate cited by Global Carbon Project/related)
04
Amazon deforestation is a major source of CO2 emissions in South America (IPCC estimates)
05
The carbon stored in Amazon forest soils is substantial, with estimates of tens of billions of tons of carbon (review)
06
Above-ground biomass in intact tropical rainforest is often in the range of 200–300 tC/ha (Amazon example from field studies/reviews)
07
Amazon forest aboveground biomass is estimated around 100–200 Mg C/ha depending on region and forest type (review)
08
Amazon intact forests can act as a carbon sink in some years, while drought years can reduce uptake or shift to net source (study synthesis)
09
Large-scale disturbances (drought + fires) increase tree mortality and reduce carbon uptake (study)
10
Peatlands store large carbon stocks, with tropical peat often holding hundreds of tons of carbon per hectare (tropical peat evidence)
11
Deforestation and fire can convert carbon-storing forests into sources of CO2 (IPCC AR6)
12
In the Amazon, large-scale fires can emit substantial smoke and aerosols that affect air quality and climate (review)
Interpretation
Carbon & Climate Interpretation
For the Carbon & Climate category, the numbers show that the Amazon locks away about 86 to 140 billion metric tons of carbon and also helps drive global oxygen production, but ongoing deforestation and degradation still add roughly 1.0 GtCO2e per year, making its carbon storage and emissions balance a critical climate issue.
03 · Category
Water Cycle & Hydrology18 stats
01
The Amazon River discharge averages about 209,000 m³/s
02
The Amazon River contributes about 20% of the freshwater entering the world’s oceans
03
Evapotranspiration from the Amazon rainforest recycles a substantial fraction of regional rainfall (estimated at ~50%)
04
Amazon’s humid air masses can travel thousands of kilometers influencing rainfall over South America
05
Rainfall over the Amazon can reach annual totals of 2,000–3,000 mm in many areas
06
Flooding can persist for 4–6 months in large parts of the Amazon floodplain
07
The Amazon rainforest basin contains some of the world’s largest river systems (context: Amazon, plus major tributaries such as Madeira, Tapajós, Xingu, and Negro)
08
The Amazon River has more than 1,000 tributaries
09
The Amazon River is the second-longest river system in the world (total length often given as ~6,400 km for main river)
10
The Amazon River system drains an area of about 7 million km² (basin drainage area includes outside rainforest)
11
The Tapajós basin area is about 550,000 km² (tributary basin context)
12
The Xingu basin area is about 500,000 km² (tributary basin context)
13
Amazonian floodplains (varzea) undergo seasonal flooding that can exceed 5 meters in water level in many regions (field observations synthesis)
14
Canopy interception losses can be on the order of several tens of percent of rainfall in tropical forests (Amazon-relevant study)
15
Amazon forest soils can contain high water storage, buffering dry-season flows (soil hydrology study)
16
Whitewater rivers like the Amazon’s Solimões/Upper Amazon carry high sediment loads that shape floodplain habitats (hydrology/ecology study)
17
Blackwater rivers in the Amazon have low nutrient concentrations and distinct chemistry (limnology study)
18
The Amazon River plume can extend hundreds of kilometers into the Atlantic Ocean (remote sensing studies)
Interpretation
Water Cycle & Hydrology Interpretation
The Amazon rainforest is a powerful hydrology driver because it recycles roughly 50% of its regional rainfall through evapotranspiration and helps supply about 20% of the world’s ocean-bound freshwater, with rainfall often totaling 2,000 to 3,000 mm per year and floods lasting 4 to 6 months in the floodplain.
04 · Category
Climate & Weather15 stats
01
Amazon rainforest temperatures typically range from 22°C to 28°C
02
Amazon rainfall seasonality varies, with some areas receiving 60–80% of annual rainfall in the wet season
03
Severe droughts in the Amazon have occurred in multiple periods, including 2005, 2010, and 2015
04
The Amazon can lose resilience after repeated droughts, increasing risk of large-scale dieback
05
As warming increases, the IPCC estimates that the Amazon biome faces rising risk of forest dieback
06
The Amazon region experienced extreme heat events, with some areas seeing temperatures exceeding historical records during drought years
07
Forest dieback risk rises when combined stressors exceed thresholds (IPCC guidance)
08
Amazon could reach a tipping point in which forest becomes savanna-like under continued warming and deforestation (IPCC AR6 synthesis uses risk framing)
09
El Niño events can reduce precipitation in the western Amazon by substantial fractions (meta study context)
10
The Amazon’s climate is strongly influenced by regional evapotranspiration and atmospheric moisture transport (review)
11
Model studies indicate that deforestation can increase drought risk by reducing local moisture recycling (study)
12
Deforestation in the Amazon can shift rainfall patterns and reduce dry-season precipitation (study)
13
Drought severity has increased in the Amazon in recent decades (observational studies)
14
The Amazon’s dry season length can increase under warming scenarios (climate projections)
15
The IPCC reports that extreme drought events in Amazon are projected to increase in frequency and/or severity
Interpretation
Climate & Weather Interpretation
Under the Climate and Weather category, the Amazon’s persistent 22°C to 28°C baseline is increasingly stressed by drought-driven heat and shifting rainfall patterns, with some regions getting 60% to 80% of annual rain in the wet season while major droughts in 2005, 2010, and 2015 and rising warming risks push the biome toward higher forest dieback.
05 · Category
Deforestation & Land Use30 stats
01
5,891 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Brazil in 2023 (PRODES)
02
8,467 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Brazil in 2022 (PRODES)
03
13,038 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Brazil in 2021 (PRODES)
04
7,989 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Brazil in 2020 (PRODES)
05
10,129 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Brazil in 2019 (PRODES)
06
4.1 million hectares of Amazon rainforest were cleared between 2014 and 2018 (estimate cited for Brazilian Amazon)
07
18% of the Amazon rainforest has been lost due to deforestation (estimate)
08
20% of the Amazon basin’s original forest cover has been lost (estimate)
09
Legal Amazon deforestation is monitored by INPE using the PRODES system
10
PRODES uses satellite imagery and annual clear-cutting detection to quantify deforestation area
11
INPE’s PROARCO and monitoring systems track fire hotspots and burned area risk in the Amazon
12
Amazon deforestation in Brazil peaked at about 27,700 km² in 2004 (PRODES)
13
Amazon deforestation decreased to about 4,200 km² in 2012 (PRODES)
14
From 2004 to 2012, Brazil’s annual deforestation in the Legal Amazon fell by about 80% (context reported in INPE/WWF summaries)
15
Approximately 7,900 km² of forest were cleared in the Brazilian Amazon in 2020 (PRODES)
16
Approximately 13,038 km² of forest were cleared in the Brazilian Amazon in 2021 (PRODES)
17
Approximately 8,467 km² were cleared in 2022 (PRODES)
18
The Brazilian DETER system detected 17,586 km² of deforestation in 2022 (DT data)
19
Roughly 70% of Amazon deforestation in recent years is linked to cattle ranching and soy expansion (review estimate)
20
Cattle pasture expansion is one of the dominant direct drivers of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon (analysis)
21
Soy expansion is a significant driver of land-use change in parts of the Amazon arc (analysis)
22
Mining and infrastructure development are additional drivers of deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon (review)
23
Brazil’s PRODES monitoring covers the Brazilian Legal Amazon (deforestation measurement boundary)
24
DETER alerts are produced for multiple states in the Legal Amazon with near real-time operational workflow
25
The Amazon rainforest is monitored using satellite systems including Landsat and MODIS (remote sensing overview)
26
Landsat provides 30-meter spatial resolution imagery used for land cover change monitoring
27
MODIS provides daily global observations at 1-km resolution for many environmental monitoring products
28
10,123 km² deforested in Brazil’s Legal Amazon under PRODES in 2019
29
10,129 km² deforested in Brazil’s Legal Amazon under PRODES in 2020
30
13,037 km² deforested in Brazil’s Legal Amazon under PRODES in 2021
Interpretation
Deforestation & Land Use Interpretation
Under the Deforestation and Land Use category, Brazil’s Amazon saw deforestation surge from 7,989 square kilometers in 2020 to a peak of 13,038 square kilometers in 2021 before dropping to 5,891 square kilometers in 2023, which suggests a recent but uneven improvement compared with the earlier heavy clearing period of 4.1 million hectares between 2014 and 2018.
report visual · Projection
Amazon deforestation in Brazil’s Legal Amazon (PRODES)
PRODES deforestation area rises from 2018 to a peak in 2021, then declines in 2022 and further in 2023—showing the post-peak downward direction after the 2021 leader.
9,211 km² deforested
Start
-5.41%
CAGR · 5y
6,975 km² deforested
Projected
20182023
source-verifiedterrabrasilis.dpi.inpe.br2023
06 · Category
Governance & Enforcement17 stats
01
Brazil’s CAR (Cadastro Ambiental Rural) registry includes 6.1 million rural properties registered (as of 2023)
02
The Brazilian Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) has about 7.6 million enrolled properties (reported range)
03
The Amazon Fund’s target is to support eligible projects to prevent, monitor, and combat deforestation
04
IBAMA coordinates enforcement actions in the Brazilian Amazon through embargo and fines mechanisms
05
The Brazilian Ministry of Environment’s PRODES and DETER systems feed into enforcement prioritization
06
DTIMs: INPE’s DETER alerts provide near real-time information (weekly) for enforcement action
07
DETER typically releases alerts every week (near real time) for deforestation hotspots
08
Brazil’s PPCDAm plan (Plano de Prevenção e Controle do Desmatamento na Amazônia Legal) aimed to reduce deforestation
09
The PPCDAm plan has multiple phases; Phase III (2016–2020) included deforestation reduction targets
10
Deforestation alerts from DETER support enforcement actions and embargoes (operational purpose)
11
About 17% of the Amazon biome is under protected areas (estimate)
12
In the Brazilian Amazon, illegal deforestation contributes to a high share of deforestation in enforcement gaps (forensic/research estimate)
13
Satellite monitoring has detected illegal deforestation at scale in the Amazon (remote sensing study)
14
Mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a documented health risk in the Amazon region (WHO/UNEP context)
15
Protected areas reduce deforestation risk; a global meta-analysis finds protected areas are associated with lower annual deforestation rates (meta-analysis)
16
Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon show lower deforestation rates compared with surrounding areas (study)
17
A 2016 global study estimated that indigenous territories had deforestation rates around 3.5 times lower than non-indigenous lands (study)
Interpretation
Governance & Enforcement Interpretation
With Brazil’s CAR registering about 6.1 to 7.6 million rural properties and enforcement increasingly guided by INPE’s weekly near real time DETER alerts and PRODES and DETER data, governance and enforcement in the Amazon is scaling its oversight alongside a rapidly expanded registry and coordinated actions from IBAMA.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Amazon Rainforest Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/amazon-rainforest-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Amazon Rainforest Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/amazon-rainforest-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Amazon Rainforest Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/amazon-rainforest-statistics.
Sources & references
72 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+44 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)