In today's world, List of countries by forest area has become a topic of great relevance and interest to people around the world. With the advancement of technology and globalization, List of countries by forest area has acquired increasing importance in people's daily lives, impacting areas such as education, work, politics, health, among others. This is why it is crucial to understand and analyze in detail how List of countries by forest area is changing and shaping the world we live in, as well as the possible implications and consequences this may have in the future. In this article, we will thoroughly explore the impact and relevance of List of countries by forest area today, as well as the challenges and opportunities it presents for modern society.
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. In 2022, it lost 22.8 million ha of tree cover.[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 – 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%).
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.[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%). The FAO is compiling a new global assessment due to be published in 2025.
All areas are given in units of 1000 hectares. Source: Food and Agriculture Organization
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 |
All areas are given in units of 1000 hectares. Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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 | 42 | 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 |
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. This data can be downloaded in bulk from Our World in Data. Some countries have more recent statistics, for example the share of forest in Turkey is mentioned in that article.
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.