List of countries by forest area
This is a list of countries and territories of the world according to the total area covered by forests , based on data published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In 2010, the world had 3.92 billion hectares (ha) of tree cover, extending over 30% of its land area.[ 1] [need quotation to verify ]
In 2020, the world had a total forest area of 4.06 billion ha, which was 31 percent of the total land area. This area is equivalent to 0.52 ha per person[ 2] – although forests
are not distributed equally among the world's people
or geographically. The tropical domain has the largest proportion of the world's forests (45 percent), followed by the boreal, temperate and subtropical domains. More than half (54 percent) of the world's forests is in only five countries – the Russian Federation (20.1%), Brazil (12.2%), Canada (8.6%), the United States of America (7.6%) and China (5.4%).[ 2]
Many of the world's forests are being damaged and degraded or are disappearing altogether. Their capacity to provide tangible goods, such as fiber, food, and medicines, as well as essential ecological services, including habitat for biodiversity, carbon storage, and moderation of freshwater flows, is under greater threat than ever before.[ 3] [obsolete source ] According to World Resource Institute in Washington, between 2000 and 2020 the world lost 101 million hectares (Mha) of tree cover, mostly tropical and subtropical forests (92%).[ 3] The FAO is compiling a new global assessment due to be published in 2025.[ 4]
Planet, continents and regions
All areas are given in units of 1000 hectares . Source: Food and Agriculture Organization [ 5]
Region
1990
2000
2010
2020
World
4,236,433
4,158,050
4,106,317
4,058,931
Asia (including Russia )
1,394,343
1,396,679
1,426,096
1,437,999
South America
973,666
922,645
870,154
844,186
North America and Central America
755,279
752,349
754,190
752,710
Africa
742,801
710,049
676,015
636,639
Europe (excluding Russia )
185,369
192,999
198,846
202,149
Oceania
184,974
183,328
181,015
185,248
Countries and territories
Russia has the most forest
Share of global forest in each country
All areas are given in units of 1000 hectares. Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [ 6]
Country
1990
2000
2010
2020
Afghanistan
1,208
1,208
1,208
1,208
Albania
789
769
782
789
Algeria
1,667
1,579
1,918
1,949
American Samoa
18
18
17
17
Andorra
16
16
16
16
Angola
79,263
77,709
72,158
66,607
Antigua and Barbuda
10
9
9
8
Argentina
35,204
33,378
30,214
28,573
Armenia
335
333
331
328
Australia
133,882
131,814
129,546
134,005
Austria
3,776
3,838
3,863
3,899
Azerbaijan
945
987
1,032
1,132
Bahamas
510
510
510
510
Bangladesh
1,920
1,920
1,888
1,883
Barbados
6
6
6
6
Belarus
7,780
8,273
8,630
8,768
Belgium
677
667
690
689
Belize
1,600
1,459
1,391
1,277
Benin
4,835
4,135
3,635
3,135
Bermuda
1
1
1
1
Bhutan
2,507
2,606
2,705
2,725
Bolivia
57,805
55,101
53,086
50,834
Bosnia
2,210
2,112
2,103
2,188
Botswana
18,804
17,621
16,438
15,255
Brazil
588,898
551,089
511,581
496,620
Brunei
413
397
380
380
Bulgaria
3,327
3,375
3,737
3,893
Burkina Faso
7,717
7,217
6,717
6,216
Burundi
276
194
194
280
Cambodia
11,005
10,781
10,589
8,068
Cameroon
22,500
21,597
20,900
20,340
Canada
348,273
347,802
347,322
346,928
Cape Verde
15
40
43
46
Cayman Islands
13
13
13
13
Central African Republic
23,203
22,903
22,603
22,303
Chad
6,730
6,353
5,530
4,313
Chile
15,246
15,817
16,725
18,211
China
157,141
177,001
200,610
219,978
Colombia
64,958
62,736
60,808
59,142
Comoros
46
41
37
33
Republic of the Congo
22,315
22,195
22,075
21,946
Costa Rica
2,907
2,857
2,871
3,035
Croatia
1,850
1,885
1,920
1,939
Cuba
2,058
2,435
2,932
3,242
Cyprus
161
172
173
173
Czech Republic
2,629
2,637
2,657
2,677
Democratic Republic of the Congo
150,629
143,899
137,169
126,155
Denmark
531
572
586
628
Djibouti
6
6
6
6
Dominica
50
48
48
48
Dominican Republic
1,595
1,972
2,073
2,144
East Timor
963
949
935
921
Ecuador
14,632
13,731
13,028
12,498
Egypt
44
59
66
45
El Salvador
719
674
629
584
Equatorial Guinea
2,699
2,616
2,532
2,448
Eritrea
1,150
1,118
1,087
1,055
Estonia
2,206
2,239
2,336
2,438
Ethiopia
19,259
18,529
17,799
17,069
Fiji
940
1,006
1,073
1,140
Finland
21,875
22,446
22,242
22,409
France
14,436
15,288
16,419
17,253
Gabon
23,762
23,700
23,649
23,531
Gambia
415
357
300
243
Georgia
2,752
2,761
2,822
2,822
Germany (see: Forest in Germany )
11,300
11,354
11,409
11,419
Ghana
9,924
8,849
7,943
7,986
Greece
3,299
3,600
3,902
3,902
Grenada
18
18
18
18
Guatemala
4,781
4,209
3,723
3,528
Guinea
7,276
6,929
6,569
6,189
Guinea-Bissau
2,233
2,149
2,064
1,980
Guyana
18,602
18,564
18,520
18,415
Haiti
383
381
378
347
Honduras
6,988
6,778
6,575
6,359
Hungary
1,814
1,921
2,046
2,053
Iceland
17
30
45
51
India
63,938
67,591
69,496
72,160
Indonesia
118,545
101,280
99,659
92,133
Iran
9,076
9,326
10,692
10,752
Iraq
804
818
825
825
Ireland
462
630
720
782
Israel
132
153
154
140
Italy
7,590
8,369
9,028
9,566
Ivory Coast
7,851
5,094
3,966
2,837
Jamaica
521
521
558
597
Japan
24,950
24,876
24,966
24,935
Jordan
98
98
98
98
Kazakhstan
3,162
3,157
3,082
3,455
Kenya
3,859
3,961
3,616
3,611
Kiribati
1
1
1
1
Kuwait
3
5
6
6
Kyrgyzstan
1,136
1,181
1,230
1,315
Laos
17,843
17,425
16,941
16,596
Latvia
3,173
3,241
3,372
3,411
Lebanon
140
138
137
143
Lesotho
35
35
35
35
Liberia
8,525
8,223
7,920
7,617
Libya
217
217
217
217
Liechtenstein
7
7
7
7
Lithuania
1,945
2,020
2,170
2,201
Luxembourg
86
87
89
89
Madagascar
13,693
13,031
12,562
12,430
Malawi
3,502
3,082
2,662
2,242
Malaysia
20,619
19,691
18,948
19,114
Maldives
1
1
1
1
Mali
13,296
13,296
13,296
13,296
Mauritania
476
422
367
313
Mauritius
41
42
38
39
Mexico
70,592
68,381
66,943
65,692
Micronesia
64
64
64
64
Moldova
325
344
375
387
Monaco
0
0
0
0
Mongolia
14,352
14,264
14,184
14,173
Montenegro
626
626
827
827
Morocco
5,485
5,507
5,675
5,742
Mozambique
43,378
41,188
38,972
36,744
Myanmar
39,218
34,868
31,441
28,544
Namibia
8,769
8,059
7,349
6,639
Nepal
5,672
5,781
5,962
5,962
Netherlands
345
360
373
370
New Caledonia
831
838
839
838
New Zealand
9,372
9,850
9,848
9,893
Nicaragua
6,399
5,399
4,188
3,408
Niger
1,945
1,328
1,204
1,080
Nigeria
26,526
24,893
23,260
21,627
North Korea
6,551
6,476
6,387
6,287
North Macedonia
912
958
960
1,001
Norway
12,132
12,113
12,102
12,180
Oman
3
3
3
3
Pakistan
4,987
4,511
4,094
3,726
Palau
38
40
41
41
Panama
4,607
4,442
4,328
4,214
Papua New Guinea
36,400
36,278
36,179
35,856
Paraguay
25,546
22,992
19,570
16,102
Peru
76,449
75,298
74,050
72,330
Philippines
7,779
7,309
6,840
7,189
Poland
8,882
9,059
9,329
9,483
Portugal
3,399
3,281
3,252
3,312
Puerto Rico
320
429
491
496
Qatar
0
0
0
0
Romania
6,371
6,366
6,515
6,929
Russia
808,950
809,269
815,136
815,312
Rwanda
317
287
265
276
Saint Lucia
21
21
21
21
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
28
29
29
29
Samoa
176
171
166
162
San Marino
1
1
1
1
São Tomé and Príncipe
59
58
58
52
Saudi Arabia
977
977
977
977
Senegal
9,303
8,853
8,468
8,068
Serbia
2,313
2,460
2,713
2,723
Seychelles
34
34
34
34
Sierra Leone
3,127
2,929
2,732
2,535
Singapore
15
17
18
16
Slovakia
1,902
1,901
1,918
1,926
Slovenia
1,188
1,233
1,247
1,238
Solomon Islands
2,545
2,538
2,530
2,523
Somalia
8,283
7,515
6,748
5,980
South Africa
18,142
17,778
17,414
17,050
South Korea
6,912
6,455
6,242
6,030
South Sudan
7,157
7,157
7,157
7,157
Spain
13,905
17,094
18,545
18,572
Sri Lanka
2,350
2,166
2,104
2,113
Sudan
23,570
21,826
20,081
18,360
Suriname
15,378
15,341
15,300
15,196
Swaziland
461
473
485
498
Sweden
28,063
28,163
28,073
27,980
Switzerland
1,154
1,196
1,235
1,269
Syria
372
432
492
522
Tajikistan
408
410
410
424
Tanzania
57,390
53,670
49,950
45,745
Thailand
19,361
18,998
20,073
19,873
Togo
1,362
1,268
1,239
1,209
Tonga
9
9
9
9
Trinidad and Tobago
242
237
232
228
Tunisia
644
668
687
703
Turkey (see: Forest in Turkey )
19,783
20,148
21,083
22,220
Turkmenistan
4,127
4,127
4,127
4,127
Tuvalu
1
1
1
1
Uganda
3,575
3,163
2,750
2,338
Ukraine
9,274
9,510
9,548
9,690
United Arab Emirates
245
309
317
317
United Kingdom
2,778
2,954
3,059
3,190
United States
302,450
303,536
308,720
309,795
United States Virgin Islands
25
20
18
20
Uruguay
798
1,369
1,731
2,031
Uzbekistan
2,549
2,961
3,350
3,690
Vanuatu
442
442
442
442
Venezuela
52,026
49,151
47,505
46,231
Vietnam
9,376
11,784
13,388
14,643
Yemen
549
549
549
549
Zambia
47,412
47,054
46,696
44,814
Zimbabwe
18,827
18,366
17,905
17,445
Share of national land which is forest
Percentage of land area covered by forest in each country
This graph depicts trends in changes in global forest cover annually for various regions and sub-regions.
The percentage of each country's land which is forested was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization in 2020 and is expected to be updated in 2025 and every 5 years after that.[ 7] This data can be downloaded in bulk from Our World in Data .[ 8] Some countries have more recent statistics, for example the share of forest in Turkey is mentioned in that article.
See also
Sources
This article incorporates text from "Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 Key findings" (PDF) . FAO. 2020. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. See c:File:Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 – Key findings.pdf . VRTS ticket # 2020073010003087 .
This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (license statement/permission ). Text taken from The State of the World's Forests 2020. Forests, biodiversity and people – In brief , FAO & UNEP, FAO & UNEP.
References
External links