Forest Area

Land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in height.

Latest available data

This page uses the latest available World Bank observation (2023). Country-level datasets often lag the current calendar year because they depend on official reporting and validation.

World Bank 2023

What is the global average Forest Area?

The global average Forest Area is 34.61 % of land area as of 2023. Suriname has the highest at 94.45 % of land area, while Yemen has the lowest at 1.04 % of land area. Data covers 195 countries. Source: World Bank.

World Average
34.61 % of land area
Highest
Suriname
94.45 % of land area
Lowest
Yemen
1.04 % of land area
Countries with Data
195
2023

Top Countries

#1 Suriname 94.45 % of land area
#2 Micronesia 92.16 % of land area
#3 Gabon 91.18 % of land area
#4 Palau 90.54 % of land area
#5 Solomon Islands 90.06 % of land area

Regional Averages

Oceania
52.37 % of land area
18 country
Americas
40.91 % of land area
44 country
Europe
33.71 % of land area
43 country
Africa
30.29 % of land area
48 country
Asia
26.27 % of land area
42 country

Country Rankings

View full rankings
Forest Area — Country Rankings (2023)
# Country Value
1 Suriname 94.45 % of land area
2 Micronesia 92.16 % of land area
3 Gabon 91.18 % of land area
4 Palau 90.54 % of land area
5 Solomon Islands 90.06 % of land area
6 Guyana 87.09 % of land area
7 Equatorial Guinea 86.39 % of land area
8 American Samoa 85.2 % of land area
9 Papua New Guinea 78.95 % of land area
10 Liberia 78.14 % of land area
11 Finland 73.72 % of land area
12 Seychelles 73.26 % of land area
13 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 73.18 % of land area
14 Brunei 72.11 % of land area
15 Bhutan 71.61 % of land area
16 Laos 71.46 % of land area
17 Guinea-Bissau 69.51 % of land area
18 Sweden 68.7 % of land area
19 Japan 68.4 % of land area
20 Republic of the Congo 64.13 % of land area
21 South Korea 64.11 % of land area
22 Dominica 63.83 % of land area
23 Fiji 63.5 % of land area
24 Timor-Leste 61.66 % of land area
25 Montenegro 61.49 % of land area
26 Slovenia 61.17 % of land area
27 Costa Rica 60.4 % of land area
28 Zambia 59.52 % of land area
29 Brazil 58.98 % of land area
30 United States Virgin Islands 58.17 % of land area
31 Malaysia 57.72 % of land area
32 Samoa 57.64 % of land area
33 Estonia 57.07 % of land area
34 Panama 56.34 % of land area
35 Honduras 56.27 % of land area
36 Jamaica 56.19 % of land area
37 Puerto Rico 56.12 % of land area
38 Peru 56.1 % of land area
39 Latvia 55 % of land area
40 Belize 54.52 % of land area
41 DR Congo 54.19 % of land area
42 Northern Mariana Islands 52.96 % of land area
43 Colombia 52.77 % of land area
44 Cayman Islands 52.47 % of land area
45 Venezuela 52.23 % of land area
46 Marshall Islands 52.22 % of land area
47 São Tomé and Príncipe 52.13 % of land area
48 Angola 52.09 % of land area
49 Grenada 52.06 % of land area
50 Guam 51.85 % of land area
51 Bahamas 50.94 % of land area
52 Tanzania 50.05 % of land area
53 Russia 49.78 % of land area
54 North Korea 49.55 % of land area
55 Ecuador 49.55 % of land area
56 Indonesia 47.72 % of land area
57 Vietnam 47.45 % of land area
58 Austria 47.24 % of land area
59 Bolivia 46.35 % of land area
60 New Caledonia 45.83 % of land area
61 Mozambique 45.81 % of land area
62 Dominican Republic 44.99 % of land area
63 Zimbabwe 44.74 % of land area
64 Trinidad and Tobago 44.24 % of land area
65 Belarus 43.41 % of land area
66 Cambodia 43.06 % of land area
67 French Polynesia 43.06 % of land area
68 Bosnia and Herzegovina 42.73 % of land area
69 Cameroon 42.67 % of land area
70 Myanmar 42.4 % of land area
71 Saint Kitts and Nevis 42.31 % of land area
72 Liechtenstein 41.88 % of land area
73 Nepal 41.59 % of land area
74 Senegal 41.28 % of land area
75 Georgia 40.62 % of land area
76 Slovakia 40.06 % of land area
77 North Macedonia 39.71 % of land area
78 Canada 39.46 % of land area
79 Thailand 38.69 % of land area
80 Paraguay 38.54 % of land area
81 New Zealand 37.79 % of land area
82 Spain 37.19 % of land area
83 Vanuatu 36.28 % of land area
84 Bulgaria 36.22 % of land area
85 Portugal 36.15 % of land area
86 Central African Republic 35.66 % of land area
87 Lithuania 35.23 % of land area
88 Ghana 35.19 % of land area
89 Croatia 34.79 % of land area
90 Czechia 34.76 % of land area
91 Luxembourg 34.45 % of land area
92 Sierra Leone 34.3 % of land area
93 Saint Lucia 34.05 % of land area
94 Andorra 34.04 % of land area
95 Sri Lanka 34 % of land area
96 United States 33.87 % of land area
97 Mexico 33.6 % of land area
98 Norway 33.5 % of land area
99 Tuvalu 33.33 % of land area
100 Italy 32.89 % of land area
101 Germany 32.68 % of land area
102 Guatemala 32.6 % of land area
103 France 32.48 % of land area
104 Serbia 32.39 % of land area
105 Switzerland 32.38 % of land area
106 Cuba 31.23 % of land area
107 Poland 31.08 % of land area
108 Greece 30.27 % of land area
109 Romania 30.12 % of land area
110 Turkey 29.48 % of land area
111 Eswatini 29.14 % of land area
112 Albania 28.79 % of land area
113 El Salvador 27.53 % of land area
114 Benin 26.47 % of land area
115 Botswana 26.29 % of land area
116 Nicaragua 25.82 % of land area
117 Chile 25.01 % of land area
118 Saint Martin 24.8 % of land area
119 Guinea 24.7 % of land area
120 India 24.54 % of land area
121 Philippines 24.46 % of land area
122 British Virgin Islands 24.13 % of land area
123 China 24.03 % of land area
124 Nigeria 23.21 % of land area
125 Belgium 22.6 % of land area
126 Hungary 22.45 % of land area
127 Malawi 22.44 % of land area
128 Gambia 22.28 % of land area
129 Burkina Faso 22.17 % of land area
130 Togo 22.07 % of land area
131 Madagascar 21.3 % of land area
132 Singapore 20.93 % of land area
133 Mauritius 19.47 % of land area
134 Cyprus 18.67 % of land area
135 Bermuda 18.52 % of land area
136 Antigua and Barbuda 18.01 % of land area
137 Australia 17.42 % of land area
138 Comoros 16.98 % of land area
139 Ukraine 16.76 % of land area
140 San Marino 16.67 % of land area
141 Denmark 15.78 % of land area
142 Ethiopia 14.93 % of land area
143 Barbados 14.65 % of land area
144 Bangladesh 14.49 % of land area
145 Lebanon 14.19 % of land area
146 Azerbaijan 14.11 % of land area
147 South Africa 13.97 % of land area
148 United Kingdom 13.29 % of land area
149 Morocco 12.94 % of land area
150 Tonga 12.43 % of land area
151 Haiti 12.26 % of land area
152 Uruguay 11.96 % of land area
153 Moldova 11.74 % of land area
154 Armenia 11.62 % of land area
155 Cape Verde 11.57 % of land area
156 Ireland 11.53 % of land area
157 South Sudan 11.33 % of land area
158 Rwanda 11.31 % of land area
159 Turks and Caicos Islands 11.07 % of land area
160 Netherlands 11.06 % of land area
161 Uganda 11.04 % of land area
162 Mali 10.9 % of land area
163 Burundi 10.89 % of land area
164 Sint Maarten 10.88 % of land area
165 Argentina 10.32 % of land area
166 Sudan 9.55 % of land area
167 Somalia 9.17 % of land area
168 Mongolia 9.09 % of land area
169 Turkmenistan 8.78 % of land area
170 Eritrea 8.63 % of land area
171 Uzbekistan 8.55 % of land area
172 Ivory Coast 7.86 % of land area
173 Namibia 7.81 % of land area
174 Kyrgyzstan 7.14 % of land area
175 Iran 6.65 % of land area
176 Israel 6.47 % of land area
177 Kenya 6.22 % of land area
178 Isle of Man 6.07 % of land area
179 Pakistan 4.67 % of land area
180 Tunisia 4.55 % of land area
181 United Arab Emirates 4.47 % of land area
182 Chad 3.16 % of land area
183 Tajikistan 3.08 % of land area
184 Syria 2.84 % of land area
185 Maldives 2.75 % of land area
186 Aruba 2.33 % of land area
187 Iraq 1.9 % of land area
188 Afghanistan 1.85 % of land area
189 Palestine 1.68 % of land area
190 Kiribati 1.46 % of land area
191 Malta 1.44 % of land area
192 Kazakhstan 1.31 % of land area
193 Lesotho 1.14 % of land area
194 Jordan 1.1 % of land area
195 Yemen 1.04 % of land area

Definition

Forest area measures the percentage of a country's total land area covered by natural or planted stands of trees at least 5 m (16 ft) tall. It excludes tree stands within agricultural systems, such as fruit plantations or urban parks. This indicator tracks ecological health, biodiversity, and the extent of terrestrial carbon sinks.

How it is calculated

This indicator is calculated by dividing the total area of land covered by forests by the total land area of a nation. Data is primarily gathered through national reports and remote sensing technology, then standardized by the Food and Agriculture Organization. It includes both primary forests and regenerated areas but excludes agricultural and urban land.

Interpretation

High percentages generally indicate robust ecosystems, significant carbon sequestration potential, and rich biodiversity. Low percentages often suggest arid climates, intensive urbanization, or historical deforestation. A good value varies by climate zone, though stable or increasing trends typically reflect successful conservation policies and sustainable land management practices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Forest area is a statistical measure representing the portion of a nation's land covered by trees at least 5 m (16 ft) in height. It includes both natural forests and plantations while excluding agricultural crops like fruit trees. This metric helps environmental researchers track global deforestation and the progress of reforestation efforts.

According to the latest available data, Suriname holds the highest percentage of forest area, covering approximately 94.4% of its land. This vast tropical cover is part of the Guiana Shield and represents one of the most intact rainforest ecosystems in the world. High percentages reflect minimal industrial development and strong natural conservation.

Qatar currently has the lowest forest area, recorded at 0% of its total land. This is primarily due to the country's hyper-arid desert climate, which lacks the natural water resources required to support sustained tree growth. While ornamental trees exist in urban areas, they do not meet the international definition of forest cover.

The percentage is calculated by dividing total forest land by a country's total land area, excluding inland water bodies like lakes and rivers. National governments provide data based on ground surveys and satellite imagery. The Food and Agriculture Organization then validates this information to ensure global consistency across 213 tracked countries.

About this data
Source
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
Definition
Land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in height.
Coverage
Data for 195 countries (2023)
Limitations
Data may lag 1-2 years for some countries. Coverage varies by indicator.