According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s “Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025” (GFRA 2025), global forest cover now stands at approximately 4.14 billion hectares, making up around 32 percent of the world’s total land area. Yet, what is even more revealing is that the world’s forests are highly concentrated, just five nations hold over half of the global forest area. These include the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and China. The study also notes that Asia is the only region to record a net gain in forest area since 1990, largely due to large-scale afforestation drives in countries like China and India. Good news for India because the country has climbed one position up in the 2025 global ranking.
