Summary

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has assessed the state of the world’s forest resources. According to the organization, forests cover 4.14 billion hectares, or 32% of the global land area. South America ranks first in terms of the share of land covered by forests, with forests accounting for 49% of the region’s total land area. More than half of the world’s forest area (54%) is concentrated in five countries: Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States and China. Annual forest loss has declined from 10.7 million hectares per year in 1990–2000 to 4.12 million hectares per year in 2015–2025. This trend reflects reduced deforestation in some countries and forest expansion in others. Despite these improvements, forest ecosystems remain under threat from fires and extreme weather events. Each year, approximately 10.9 million hectares of forest continue to be lost. The Russian Federation accounts for 20% of the world’s forests (covering more than half of the country’s territory). In 2025, Russia’s forest area was estimated at more than 832 million hectares, compared with 811 million hectares in 1990. Nearly 98% of Russia’s forests are of natural origin.