Auriga: Indonesia's 2025 Deforestation Jumps 66% to 433,751 Hectares, Ministry Flags Method Gap

Jakarta — Indonesia lost 433,751 hectares of forest in 2025, up about 66% from 261,575 hectares in 2024, according to the Indonesia Deforestation Status (STADI) 2025 report released by Auriga Nusantara on 31 March 2026. Mongabay noted that this is the highest figure in eight years. The Ministry of Forestry welcomed the findings but pointed to methodological differences with official data. The report comes as the government prepares to roll out the B50 biodiesel mandate from 1 July 2026.

Increases across nearly every major island

In its release, Auriga said every major island recorded more deforestation than in 2024. Kalimantan again had the largest forest loss, a position it has held since 2013. Papua posted the biggest absolute increase, at 60,337 hectares, while Java recorded the steepest percentage rise, at 440%. Northern Sumatra saw sharp jumps: Aceh rose 426%, North Sumatra 281% and West Sumatra 1,034%.

Average monthly deforestation nationwide was 36,146 hectares, with the heaviest clearing between April and October and a peak in May. In 2025, Central Kalimantan topped the provincial ranking, followed by East Kalimantan, Aceh and West Kalimantan.

Auriga built its estimates from 10-metre Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, monthly deforestation alerts from the University of Maryland, and field checks covering 49,321 hectares in 38 villages across 28 regencies and 16 provinces.

Palm oil, food and energy behind the clearing

According to a Reuters report republished by Free Malaysia Today, Auriga's calculations show that 37,910 hectares of forest were cleared inside oil palm concessions, while 41,162 hectares were converted into coal, gold and nickel concessions. More than 78,000 hectares were also lost in areas allocated to food, energy and water reserve programmes. Auriga put the total forest area allocated to those programmes at 20.6 million hectares.

Citing analysis by TheTreeMap, Mongabay reported that palm-driven deforestation in Papua doubled to 7,333 hectares in 2025 from 3,510 hectares in 2024, the highest since 2018. The same report noted President Prabowo Subianto's plan to expand biodiesel use, including a 50% palm blend (B50).

Auriga Nusantara chairman Timer Manurung, quoted by Reuters, described the 2025 surge as deeply troubling and said it should serve as a warning that prompts corrective action. Auriga's data director, Dedy Sukmara, told Mongabay that the organisation was itself surprised by the numbers.

Government response and methodological differences

Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki, quoted by Mongabay, said the government welcomed Auriga's findings but acknowledged a margin of error in AI- and satellite-based analysis. He also said safeguards exclude conservation areas and customary lands from clearing. Ministry of Forestry spokesperson Ristianto Pribadi said food estate projects would not be halted but would be improved through better monitoring.

Earlier, in December 2025, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said gross deforestation in 2025 was expected to at least match 2024, the highest level since 2019. The government had not released official full-year 2025 data when the report was published.

Part of the gap comes down to definitions. The government counts only permanent deforestation, while Auriga also includes temporary forest loss and young secondary forest.

Why it matters for the biodiesel programme

The report lands in the middle of the B50 push. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, as reported by the Cabinet Secretariat on 31 March 2026, said B50 will take effect on 1 July 2026 to advance energy self-sufficiency and efficiency, potentially cutting fossil fuel use by up to 4 million kL. The government also estimates savings of IDR 48 trillion over six months.

For the biodiesel industry, deforestation data matter because emission-reduction claims for biofuels depend heavily on where the feedstock is grown. Traceability of supplying plantations is also increasingly demanded by export markets. A summary of national biodiesel rules is available on our biodiesel regulation page.