Land & Forests

Forest area as a percentage of total land. The trend here is more mixed than emissions or energy — some countries have reversed deforestation while others continue to lose cover at pace.

A word on the data: the FAO definition of "forest" has well-known limitations. It counts monoculture timber plantations, includes land temporarily cleared after fire or logging, and doesn't distinguish primary rainforest from managed tree farms. Treat this as a directional indicator of land use pressure, not a measure of ecosystem health or biodiversity.

The default selection highlights the tension: Brazil and Indonesia are among the world's largest tropical forest holders and have historically shown steep declines; the Democratic Republic of Congo holds the second-largest rainforest and is watching it diminish; Canada shows the relative stability of boreal forests under different land-use pressures.

Forest cover over time

Countries in the tropics typically show declining lines as agricultural frontiers expand. Temperate and boreal regions show more stability — and some European countries have actually increased cover through afforestation programmes.

Net change since 1990

Percentage-point gain or loss since 1990, the baseline year for most international forest-related commitments (including the UN's Sustainable Development Goals). Bars below zero represent countries that have lost forest cover; bars above zero have gained it.

All countries ranked — current forest cover

Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) via Our World in Data. Data coverage begins 1990 for most countries.