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List of countries by forest area

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Guiana Amazonian Park in French Guiana
Forest covered 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

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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

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Russia has more total forested land than any other country
Share of global forest in each country

Data are for the year 2022 and are from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.[6]

Location Land
km2		 Forest
km2		 %
forest
 World 139,539,828 42,726,835 30.6%
 French Guiana 82,810 79,960 96.6%
 Suriname 160,508 151,718 94.5%
 Guyana 196,850 183,969 93.5%
 Micronesia 700 645 92.1%
 Gabon 257,670 235,068 91.2%
 Palau 460 416 90.4%
 Solomon Islands 27,990 25,215 90.1%
 Equatorial Guinea 28,050 24,317 86.7%
 American Samoa 200 171 85.4%
 Papua New Guinea 452,860 357,887 79.0%
 Liberia 96,320 75,569 78.5%
 Pitcairn 47 35 74.5%
 Finland 303,948 224,090 73.7%
 Seychelles 460 337 73.3%
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 390 285 73.2%
 Niue 260 189 72.7%
 Brunei 5,270 3,800 72.1%
 Laos 230,800 165,265 71.6%
 Bhutan 38,140 27,290 71.6%
 Guinea-Bissau 28,120 19,631 69.8%
 Sweden 407,280 279,800 68.7%
 Japan 364,500 249,350 68.4%
 Cook Islands 240 156 65.0%
 South Korea 97,600 62,670 64.2%
 Congo 341,500 219,160 64.2%
 Dominica 750 479 63.8%
 Fiji 18,270 11,534 63.1%
 Timor-Leste 14,870 9,183 61.8%
 Montenegro 13,450 8,270 61.5%
 Slovenia 20,136 12,338 61.3%
 Anguilla 90 55 61.1%
 Costa Rica 51,060 30,676 60.1%
 Zambia 743,390 444,376 59.8%
 Brazil 8,358,140 4,941,960 59.1%
 Malaysia 328,550 190,137 57.9%
 Samoa 2,780 1,607 57.8%
 US Virgin Islands 350 202 57.7%
 Estonia 42,730 24,384 57.1%
 Panama 74,180 41,910 56.5%
 Honduras 111,890 63,174 56.5%
 Peru 1,280,000 719,847 56.2%
 Puerto Rico 8,870 4,973 56.1%
 Jamaica 10,830 6,047 55.8%
 Belize 22,810 12,547 55.0%
 Latvia 62,230 34,185 54.9%
 Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,267,050 1,239,525 54.7%
 Northern Mariana Islands 460 244 53.0%
 Colombia 1,109,500 587,433 52.9%
 Sao Tome and Principe 960 507 52.8%
 Cayman Islands 240 126 52.7%
 Angola 1,246,700 654,973 52.5%
 Venezuela 882,050 461,268 52.3%
 Marshall Islands 180 94 52.2%
 Grenada 340 177 52.1%
 Guam 540 280 51.9%
 Bahamas 10,010 5,099 50.9%
 Tanzania 885,800 448,070 50.6%
 Ecuador 248,360 123,693 49.8%
 Russia 16,376,870 8,153,116 49.8%
 North Korea 120,410 59,876 49.7%
 Martinique 1,060 527 49.7%
 Indonesia 1,892,555 909,221 48.0%
 Austria 82,520 38,955 47.2%
 Vietnam 313,429 147,949 47.2%
 Bolivia 1,083,300 504,164 46.5%
 Mozambique 786,380 362,673 46.1%
 New Caledonia 18,280 8,378 45.8%
 Zimbabwe 386,850 173,524 44.9%
 Dominican Republic 48,198 21,603 44.8%
 Guadeloupe 1,620 718 44.3%
 Trinidad and Tobago 5,130 2,274 44.3%
 Cambodia 176,520 77,570 43.9%
 Belarus 202,990 87,966 43.3%
 French Polynesia 3,471 1,495 43.1%
 Myanmar 652,670 279,645 42.8%
 Cameroon 472,710 202,285 42.8%
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 51,200 21,879 42.7%
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 260 110 42.3%
 Liechtenstein 160 67 41.9%
 Wallis and Futuna Islands 140 58 41.6%
   Nepal 143,350 59,620 41.6%
 Senegal 192,530 79,882 41.5%
 Georgia 69,490 28,224 40.6%
 Slovakia 48,080 19,259 40.1%
 North Macedonia 25,220 10,015 39.7%
 Réunion 2,510 994 39.6%
 Canada 8,788,700 3,468,541 39.5%
 Paraguay 396,012 155,436 39.3%
 Thailand 510,890 198,010 38.8%
 New Zealand 263,310 99,319 37.7%
 Mayotte 366 138 37.7%
 Spain 499,714 185,808 37.2%
 Vanuatu 12,190 4,423 36.3%
 Portugal 91,606 33,120 36.2%
 Bulgaria 108,560 39,190 36.1%
 Central African Republic 622,980 222,430 35.7%
 Lithuania 62,604 22,039 35.2%
 Ghana 227,533 80,002 35.2%
 Croatia 55,960 19,441 34.7%
 Czech Republic 77,172 26,807 34.7%
 Sierra Leone 72,180 24,954 34.6%
 Luxembourg 2,574 887 34.5%
 Sri Lanka 61,860 21,067 34.1%
 Saint Lucia 610 208 34.0%
 Andorra 470 160 34.0%
 United States 9,147,420 3,097,950 33.9%
 Mexico 1,943,950 654,365 33.7%
 Norway 364,270 121,956 33.5%
 Tuvalu 30 10 33.3%
 Italy 295,720 96,738 32.7%
 Guatemala 107,160 35,046 32.7%
 Germany 349,360 114,190 32.7%
 Serbia 84,090 27,233 32.4%
  Switzerland 39,510 12,760 32.3%
 France 547,557 174,198 31.8%
 Cuba 103,800 32,420 31.2%
 Poland 306,090 95,070 31.1%
 Greece 128,900 39,018 30.3%
 Romania 230,080 69,291 30.1%
 Turkey 769,630 225,324 29.3%
 Eswatini 17,200 5,000 29.1%
 Albania 27,400 7,889 28.8%
 El Salvador 20,720 5,749 27.7%
 Benin 112,760 30,352 26.9%
 Nicaragua 120,340 32,075 26.7%
 Botswana 566,730 150,181 26.5%
 Montserrat 100 25 25.0%
 Guinea 245,720 61,090 24.9%
 Chile 743,532 184,565 24.8%
 Saint Martin 50 12 24.8%
 India 2,973,190 726,928 24.4%
 Philippines 298,170 72,584 24.3%
 British Virgin Islands 150 36 24.1%
 China 9,388,210 2,237,373 23.8%
 China 9,424,703 2,237,373 23.7%
 Nigeria 910,770 213,004 23.4%
 Malawi 94,280 21,577 22.9%
 Gambia 10,120 2,312 22.8%
 Belgium 30,494 6,893 22.6%
 Hungary 91,260 20,501 22.5%
 Burkina Faso 273,600 61,164 22.4%
 Togo 54,390 12,034 22.1%
 Madagascar 581,800 124,034 21.3%
 Singapore 718 152 21.2%
 Mauritius 1,997 389 19.5%
 Cyprus 9,240 1,725 18.7%
 Bermuda 54 10 18.5%
 Antigua and Barbuda 440 80 18.2%
 Australia 7,692,020 1,340,051 17.4%
 Comoros 1,861 320 17.2%
 Ukraine 579,400 97,020 16.7%
 San Marino 60 10 16.7%
 Denmark 40,000 6,303 15.8%
 Ethiopia 1,128,571 169,225 15.0%
 Barbados 430 63 14.7%
 Bangladesh 130,170 18,834 14.5%
 Lebanon 10,230 1,445 14.1%
 South Africa 1,213,090 169,773 14.0%
 Azerbaijan 82,650 11,548 14.0%
 United Kingdom 241,930 32,069 13.3%
 Morocco 446,300 57,634 12.9%
 Tonga 720 90 12.4%
 Haiti 27,560 3,411 12.4%
 Norfolk Island 40 5 12.3%
 Uruguay 175,020 20,730 11.8%
 Moldova 32,890 3,865 11.8%
 Armenia 28,470 3,281 11.5%
 Cape Verde 4,030 463 11.5%
 Ireland 68,890 7,900 11.5%
 South Sudan 631,930 71,570 11.3%
 Rwanda 24,670 2,780 11.3%
 Uganda 200,520 22,554 11.2%
 Turks and Caicos Islands 950 105 11.1%
 Netherlands 33,670 3,714 11.0%
 Mali 1,220,190 132,960 10.9%
 Burundi 25,680 2,796 10.9%
 Sint Maarten 34 4 10.9%
 Argentina 2,736,690 283,552 10.4%
 Sudan 1,868,000 180,152 9.6%
 Somalia 627,340 58,265 9.3%
 Mongolia 1,557,507 141,706 9.1%
 Turkmenistan 469,930 41,270 8.8%
 Eritrea 121,041 10,489 8.7%
 Saint Barthélemy 20 2 8.5%
 Uzbekistan 440,652 37,413 8.5%
 Ivory Coast 318,000 26,109 8.2%
 Namibia 823,290 64,969 7.9%
 Kyrgyzstan 191,800 13,519 7.0%
 Iran 1,622,500 107,758 6.6%
 Israel 21,640 1,400 6.5%
 Kenya 569,140 36,111 6.3%
 Isle of Man 570 35 6.1%
 Caribbean Netherlands 322 19 5.9%
 Channel Islands 198 10 5.2%
 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 230 12 5.1%
 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 390 20 5.1%
 Pakistan 770,880 36,432 4.7%
 Tunisia 155,360 7,058 4.5%
 United Arab Emirates 71,020 3,173 4.5%
 Chad 1,259,200 40,914 3.2%
 Tajikistan 138,790 4,258 3.1%
 Syria 185,180 5,221 2.8%
 Maldives 300 8 2.7%
 Western Sahara 266,000 6,650 2.5%
 Aruba 180 4 2.3%
 Iraq 434,128 8,250 1.9%
 Afghanistan 652,230 12,084 1.9%
 Palestine 6,025 101 1.7%
 Kiribati 810 12 1.5%
 Malta 320 5 1.4%
 Kazakhstan 2,699,700 35,132 1.3%
 Lesotho 30,360 345 1.1%
 Jordan 88,794 975 1.1%
 Yemen 527,970 5,490 1.0%
 Bahrain 790 7 0.9%
 Niger 1,266,700 10,549 0.8%
 Algeria 2,381,741 19,681 0.8%
 Iceland 100,830 527 0.5%
 Saudi Arabia 2,149,690 9,770 0.5%
 Kuwait 17,820 63 0.4%
 Mauritania 1,030,700 3,019 0.3%
 Djibouti 23,180 60 0.3%
 Curaçao 444 1 0.2%
 Libya 1,759,540 2,170 0.1%
 Faroe Islands 1,370 1 0.1%
 Egypt 995,450 450 0.0%
 Oman 309,500 24 0.0%
 Greenland 410,450 2 0.0%
 Falkland Islands 12,170 0 0.0%
 Gibraltar 10 0 0.0%
 Vatican City 0 0 0.0%
 Monaco 2 0 0.0%
 Nauru 20 0 0.0%
 Qatar 11,490 0 0.0%
 Tokelau 10 0 0.0%

See also

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Sources

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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

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  1. ^ "Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020" (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  2. ^ a b "Indicators Overview | Forest Extent". Global Forest Watch. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  3. ^ a b "Global Forest Review". World Resources Institute. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  4. ^ "Global Forest Resources Assessments | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations". www.fao.org. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  5. ^ "Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 - Main Report" (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2020. p. 16. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Land Use". fao.org. Retrieved 19 Jan 2025.
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