2026-11-01 · percent of global forest area
Half the world's forests are in five countries
Russia, Brazil, Canada, US, and China hold massive boreal and tropical blocks.
Five countries hold the fate of more than half the world's forests. Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and China together account for 54% of global forest area — vast boreal belts in the north and tropical blocks along the equator. When these capitals set forest policy, they shape the majority of Earth's forest cover.
1 cell = 0.1 percent of global forest area (0.1% of forest area) · 1,000 cells
Context
The shares come from FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's forests and the only worldwide assessment based on official national data. Its 2025 round drew on officially nominated national correspondents covering 194 countries and areas.
Beyond the five spotlight countries, the remaining shares fall to regions: Asia and the Pacific hold 23.9% of global forest area, Africa 12.9%, and the rest of the Americas 9.2%.
That concentration gives a handful of governments outsized influence. FAO's assessment feeds United Nations SDG indicators on forest area and sustainable forest management, tying national reporting to global biodiversity, climate, and land-use goals.
FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment shares.
Share and export
Credit this grid as Inagrid — https://inagrid.com/e/2026-11-01-forest-area
Keep exploring
Next in the archive