The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been coordinating the global forest resource assessments since 1946, providing consistent information on the world’s forests. The Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 continues this tradition, offering updated data from 236 countries and areas, covering about 50 variables for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2025. It presents detailed findings on the forest extent, condition, management, and reporting improvements. GFRA 2025 serves as a crucial tool for tracking progress towards the international environment goals such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and more.
GFRA 2025 is also aligned with SDG indicators 15.1.1 (forest area as a proportion of total land area), 15.2.1 (progress towards sustainable forest management), and 15.4.2 (Mountain Green Cover Index and Proportion of Degraded Mountain Land.)
Global Forest Extent
The GFRA 2025 estimates the world’s total forest area at 4.14 billion hectares, covering about 32 per cent of the global land area, and equivalent to 0.50 hectares of forest land per person. The tropical domain holds 45 per cent of these forests, followed by the boreal (the northern hemisphere zone characterised by subartic climate and primarily consisting of coniferous trees), temperate (the zone associated with a moderate climate), and subtropical (areas of the world that are immediately south or north of the tropics or the hottest regions) domains. Europe has the largest share among regions, at 25 per cent, while South America has the largest forest proportion relative to land, at 49 per cent. Over half of the world’s forests lie in five countries, namely the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the US, and China.
Forest Loss and Deforestation
A key highlight of Global FRA 2025 is that the global net forest loss has declined markedly, from 10.7 million hectares annually in 1990–2000 decade to 4.12 million hectares in the most recent 2015–2025 decade. Forest area increased in Asia, Europe and North and Central America, while losses persisted in Africa and South America, but at slower rates.
Since 1990, an estimated 489 million hectares of forest have been lost; gross deforestation fell from 17.6 million hectares in 1990–2000 to 10.9 million hectares in 2015–25. Forest expansion slowed down to 6.78 million hectares per year in the past decade down.
Forest Regeneration and Primary Forests
Naturally regenerating forests have covered upto 3.83 billion hectares, accounting for about 92 per cent of the world’s total forest area; at the same time, the area has decreased by 324 million hectares in between 1990-2025. Primary forests occupy 1.18 billion hectares, or 29 per cent of the total. Europe has the largest area (311 million hectares), followed by South America (299 million hectares), and North and Central America (280 million hectares). Primary forests declined by 110 million hectares since 1990, yet annual rate of loss has dropped to 1.61 million hectares in 2015–2025.
Planted Forests, Biomass, and Carbon
Planted forests account for eight per cent of the global forest area, about 312 million hectares in 2025, with Asia leading at 146 million hectares (23 per cent of its total). The global planted area has expanded by 120 million hectares since 1990, but the growth has been slowing. About half of these forests are intensively managed plantation forests, and nearly all in South America are composed of introduced species.
The global forest growing stock is 630 billion cubic metres, averaging about 152 cubic metres per hectare. Forest biomass is 709 gigatonnes (171 tonnes per hectare) and the total carbon stock is 714 gigatonnes (172 tonnes per hectare), with 46 per cent in soil, 44 per cent in living biomass and the remainder in litter and deadwood.
According to FAO’s analytical brief accompanying GFRA 2025, the world’s total forests acted as a net carbon sink during the 2021–2025 period, sequestering 3.6 Gt CO2 annually. Global emissions from net forest conversion during the same period were 2.8 Gt CO2, partially offsetting the forest sink effect. Overall, global forests removed 0.8 Gt CO2 annually from the atmosphere during 2021–2025.
Ownership, Protection, and Management
Public ownership accounts for 71 per cent of forests globally, while 24 per cent are privately owned. Oceania, North and Central America, and South America have the highest share of private forests. Public administration remains predominant, though its management share has declined from 94 per cent in 1990 to 81 per cent in 2020, while management by business entities, institutions, indigenous people and local communities has increased.
Forests in legally protected areas cover 813 million hectares (20 per cent) of the global forest area, an increase of 251 million hectares since 1990. Asia leads with 26 per cent of its forests as protected forests. Over 2.13 billion hectares of forests (more than half globally) are now under management plans, with Europe having the highest coverage at 94 per cent of its forests.
Forest Uses and Disturbances
Globally, about 1.20 billion hectares of primary forests (29 per cent) of global forests are designated mainly for production of wood and non-wood forest products, while 616 million hectares serve several other uses. Europe holds the largest production area (548 million hectares). About 482 million hectares (12 per cent of global forest area) are designated primarily for biodiversity conservation; Africa has the largest area of 130 million hectares, equivalent to 20 per cent of the region’s forest area for biodiversity conservation. Forests for soil and water protection cover 286 million hectares (9 per cent), increasing steadily since 1990, while those for social services such as recreation, education and cultural, and spiritual conservation total 221 million hectares (5 per cent).
Forest disturbances remain significant. On an average, 261 million hectares of land were affected by fires every year between 2007 and 2019, with almost half being forested. In 2019, fires affected 123 million hectares of forests, of which 79 per cent were in the subtropical domain. In 2020, insects, diseases and severe weather damaged 41 million hectares of forests area, mainly in the temperate and boreal regions.
Enhanced Reporting and Data Quality
The GFRA 2025 achieved the highest ever country participation, with 197 national correspondents and 178 alternates, supported by nearly 600 contributors. Regional workshops strengthened the national capacity to interpret terms, use the GFRA platforms and finalise reports, with women representing nearly 27 per cent of the participants, a rise from 17 per cent of GFRA 2020. A participatory Remote Sensing Survey launched in 2023 enabled countries to use advanced satellite data to assess forest changes.
The reporting burden on countries was reduced, with variables streamlined from 120 in GFRA 2015 to about 50 in GFRA 2025. The updated GFRA platform, enhanced with geospatial modules developed with Google, improved data entry, validation, and visualisation. Through systems such as System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring system (SEPAL) and Open Foris, FAO has expanded open-source monitoring tools, improving data quality and accessibility.
India’s Performance and Global Standing in GFRA 2025
India has risen to ninth position globally in total forest area and its consistent third rank in the net annual gain reaffirm the success of its sustained environmental policies.
India’s forest area accounts for approximately 72,739 thousand hectares, representing around two per cent of the world’s total forest area. The country’s steady improvement in forest area ranking and its sustained gains in annual forest growth demonstrate the effectiveness of national afforestation and conservation efforts.
India’s total forest cover, as reported in the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, stands at 7,15,343 square kilometres, which is 21.76 per cent of its geographical area. Madhya Pradesh (77,073 km2), Arunachal Pradesh (65,882 km2), and Chhattisgarh (55,812 km2) are the top three states with the largest forest cover. India’s mangrove cover extends over 4,992 square kilometres, mainly in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. The country’s biodiversity is safeguarded through an extensive network of 106 national parks, 573 wildlife sanctuaries, 115 conservation reserves, and 220 community reserves.
Planted Forests and Agroforestry Expansion
The GFRA 2025 highlights India’s achievements in expanding its planted forest area. The total global bamboo resource is estimated at 30.1 million hectares, with Asia accounting for 70 per cent (21.2 million hectares) of this total. India alone contributes to 11.8 million hectares of bamboo, making it a key contributor to the global increase of 8.05 million hectares in bamboo forest area since 1990, largely due to growth in both China and India.
In terms of rubber plantation, India ranks fifth globally, with approximately 831 thousand hectares under cultivation, out of a total global area of 10.9 million hectares. India has also made significant strides in agroforestry, accounting along with Indonesia for nearly all the Asia’s agroforestry area, which totals around 39.3 million hectares. Together, the two countries contribute about 70 per cent of the global agroforestry area, which stands at 55.4 million hectares.
Forest Carbon and Emission Trends
Asia, including India, recorded a strong carbon sink, removing 0.9 Gt CO2 per year, while Europe removed 1.4 Gt CO₂ annually. India ranks fifth among the top global carbon sinks with its forests removing 150 million tonnes of CO₂ per year during the period of 2021–2025. The increase in carbon removal and the decline in deforestation-related emissions underscore India’s growing contribution to global climate mitigation.
Government Initiatives Enhancing Forest Cover
India’s progress in forest expansion is supported by sustained government initiatives. In the 2025–2026 budget, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) received an allocation of Rs 3,412.82 crore, marking a 9 per cent increase from the 2024-2025 budget. The National Mission for a Green India, launched in February 2014 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), aims to expand the forest and tree cover by five million hectares and improve the quality of cover on an existing five million hectares of land. The mission enhances ecosystem services, such as biodiversity, water, and carbon storage, while also improving the livelihoods of about three million forest-dependent families.
The National Afforestation Programme (NAP) focuses on regenerating degraded forests through a three-tier institutional framework consisting of State Forest Development Agencies, Forest Development Agencies at division level, and Joint Forest Management Committees at the village level.
The mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), supported by a United Nations Environment Assembly resolution, encourages sustainable lifestyles through initiatives, such as the MeriLiFE portal and the ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ campaign, which promotes tree planting as an expression of affection towards one’s mother and the motherland.
Voluntary Updates of GFRA and the Way Forward
The GFRA 2025 introduced voluntary updates, allowing countries to revise key indicators between five-year cycles. This approach strengthens alignment with Sustainable Development Goal monitoring and other global frameworks; it enhances flexibility, transparency, responsiveness to new information and supports timely assessment of forest-related progress.
The FAO would continue to publish comprehensive assessment every five years. Planning for GFRA 2030 will begin in 2026, after evaluating the GFRA 2025. Countries would be encouraged to provide voluntary updates through the GFRA platform to maintain up-to-date and high-quality forest data for national and global policy formulation.
India’s, achievements illustrate how national commitment, scientific management, and community participation could contribute significantly to global environmental conservation and climate action.
About Global Forest Resources Assessment
Since 1946, the FAO has been monitoring the world’s forest resources through periodic GFRAs conducted in cooperation with member countries. The GFRA provides a comprehensive view of global forests and how they are changing, enabling the development of effective forest policies, practices, and investments. Over the past 79 years, growing public interest and evolving information needs have broadened the scope of these assessments to encompass all the aspects of sustainable forest management. Initially FAO-driven, the processes became more participatory from the 1980s, with countries contributing actively to the data collection, reclassification, estimation, and forecasting using a common set of global categories. Technical approaches also improved through expert judgement, remote sensing, and statistical modelling, with greater focus on trends in forest area and stocks. Since 1990, FAO has been publishing these assessments every five years. From 2005 onwards, the country reporting process formed the core of GFRA, compiling the best and most recent national data submitted by all the countries using a standardised format and methodology.
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