Countries by Total Forest Area 2025

About This Dataset

Countries ranked by total forested land area in 2025, measured in millions of hectares according to FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment. Russia possesses the largest total forest area of any country on Earth by a wide margin — its boreal taiga stretches across Siberia in an almost unbroken band from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, covering over 800 million hectares and representing approximately 20% of the world's total forest cover. These forests play an outsized role in the global carbon cycle, store enormous quantities of permafrost carbon, and support biodiversity corridors that have no equivalent elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere, making their preservation a matter of planetary rather than merely national significance.

✨ AI Insight

The stark contrast in forest area among the leading countries reveals significant ecological implications. Russia's 815 million hectares represent nearly 20% of the world's total forest cover, emphasizing its critical role in global carbon storage and biodiversity. Brazil, while second with 497 million hectares, faces ongoing deforestation challenges that threaten its Amazon rainforest. Canada, with 347 million hectares, benefits from stable forest management practices, while the U.S. (310 million hectares) and China (220 million hectares) show a trend of increasing reforestation efforts. The data suggests that while some countries are making strides in forest conservation, others like Indonesia (92 million hectares) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (126 million hectares) may struggle to protect their forests amidst economic pressures.

Source: Wikipedia

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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Russia leads with 815 in 2025.

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Average value in 2025: 318 · median: 265.

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Gap in 2025: Russia is 8.9× larger than Indonesia.