Forest Area by Country — 2023 World Rankings
Forest area as a percentage of total land area.
Updated May 2026 · Source: World BankIn 2023, Suriname leads the world in forest area (%) with 94.4%, followed by Micronesia, Fed. Sts. (92.2%), Gabon (91.2%), Palau (90.5%), Solomon Islands (90.1%). At the other end, Nauru ranks last at 0.0%. The global median is 31.1% (Poland). This ranking covers 215 countries and is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators, one of the most authoritative sources for international economic statistics.
The top 10 countries are: 1. Suriname, 2. Micronesia, Fed. Sts., 3. Gabon, 4. Palau, 5. Solomon Islands, 6. Guyana, 7. Equatorial Guinea, 8. American Samoa, 9. Papua New Guinea, 10. Liberia. All data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators and updated regularly. Free API access is available for developers and researchers.
| # | Country | Forest Area (%) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Suriname | 94.4% | 2023 |
| 2 |  Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 92.2% | 2023 |
| 3 |  Gabon | 91.2% | 2023 |
| 4 |  Palau | 90.5% | 2023 |
| 5 |  Solomon Islands | 90.1% | 2023 |
| 6 |  Guyana | 87.1% | 2023 |
| 7 |  Equatorial Guinea | 86.4% | 2023 |
| 8 |  American Samoa | 85.2% | 2023 |
| 9 |  Papua New Guinea | 79.0% | 2023 |
| 10 |  Liberia | 78.1% | 2023 |
| 11 |  Finland | 73.7% | 2023 |
| 12 |  Seychelles | 73.3% | 2023 |
| 13 |  St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 73.2% | 2023 |
| 14 |  Brunei Darussalam | 72.1% | 2023 |
| 15 |  Bhutan | 71.6% | 2023 |
| 16 |  Lao PDR | 71.5% | 2023 |
| 17 |  Guinea-Bissau | 69.5% | 2023 |
| 18 |  Sweden | 68.7% | 2023 |
| 19 |  Japan | 68.4% | 2023 |
| 20 |  Congo, Rep. | 64.1% | 2023 |
| 21 |  Korea, Rep. | 64.1% | 2023 |
| 22 |  Dominica | 63.8% | 2023 |
| 23 |  Fiji | 63.5% | 2023 |
| 24 |  Timor-Leste | 61.7% | 2023 |
| 25 |  Montenegro | 61.5% | 2023 |
| 26 |  Slovenia | 61.2% | 2023 |
| 27 |  Costa Rica | 60.4% | 2023 |
| 28 |  Zambia | 59.5% | 2023 |
| 29 |  Brazil | 59.0% | 2023 |
| 30 |  Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 58.2% | 2023 |
| 31 |  Malaysia | 57.7% | 2023 |
| 32 |  Samoa | 57.6% | 2023 |
| 33 |  Estonia | 57.1% | 2023 |
| 34 |  Panama | 56.3% | 2023 |
| 35 |  Honduras | 56.3% | 2023 |
| 36 |  Jamaica | 56.2% | 2023 |
| 37 |  Puerto Rico (US) | 56.1% | 2023 |
| 38 |  Peru | 56.1% | 2023 |
| 39 |  Latvia | 55.0% | 2023 |
| 40 |  Belize | 54.5% | 2023 |
| 41 |  Congo, Dem. Rep. | 54.2% | 2023 |
| 42 |  Northern Mariana Islands | 53.0% | 2023 |
| 43 |  Colombia | 52.8% | 2023 |
| 44 |  Cayman Islands | 52.5% | 2023 |
| 45 |  Venezuela, RB | 52.2% | 2023 |
| 46 |  Marshall Islands | 52.2% | 2023 |
| 47 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 52.1% | 2023 |
| 48 |  Angola | 52.1% | 2023 |
| 49 |  Grenada | 52.1% | 2023 |
| 50 |  Guam | 51.9% | 2023 |
| 51 |  Bahamas, The | 50.9% | 2023 |
| 52 |  Tanzania | 50.1% | 2023 |
| 53 |  Russian Federation | 49.8% | 2023 |
| 54 |  Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 49.6% | 2023 |
| 55 |  Ecuador | 49.5% | 2023 |
| 56 |  Indonesia | 47.7% | 2023 |
| 57 |  Viet Nam | 47.4% | 2023 |
| 58 |  Austria | 47.2% | 2023 |
| 59 |  Bolivia | 46.3% | 2023 |
| 60 |  New Caledonia | 45.8% | 2023 |
| 61 |  Mozambique | 45.8% | 2023 |
| 62 |  Dominican Republic | 45.0% | 2023 |
| 63 |  Zimbabwe | 44.7% | 2023 |
| 64 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 44.2% | 2023 |
| 65 |  Belarus | 43.4% | 2023 |
| 66 |  Cambodia | 43.1% | 2023 |
| 67 |  French Polynesia | 43.1% | 2023 |
| 68 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 42.7% | 2023 |
| 69 |  Cameroon | 42.7% | 2023 |
| 70 |  Myanmar | 42.4% | 2023 |
| 71 |  St. Kitts and Nevis | 42.3% | 2023 |
| 72 |  Liechtenstein | 41.9% | 2023 |
| 73 |  Nepal | 41.6% | 2023 |
| 74 |  Senegal | 41.3% | 2023 |
| 75 |  Georgia | 40.6% | 2023 |
| 76 |  Slovak Republic | 40.1% | 2023 |
| 77 |  North Macedonia | 39.7% | 2023 |
| 78 |  Canada | 39.5% | 2023 |
| 79 |  Thailand | 38.7% | 2023 |
| 80 |  Paraguay | 38.5% | 2023 |
| 81 |  New Zealand | 37.8% | 2023 |
| 82 |  Spain | 37.2% | 2023 |
| 83 |  Vanuatu | 36.3% | 2023 |
| 84 |  Bulgaria | 36.2% | 2023 |
| 85 |  Portugal | 36.2% | 2023 |
| 86 |  Central African Republic | 35.7% | 2023 |
| 87 |  Lithuania | 35.2% | 2023 |
| 88 |  Ghana | 35.2% | 2023 |
| 89 |  Croatia | 34.8% | 2023 |
| 90 |  Czechia | 34.8% | 2023 |
| 91 |  Luxembourg | 34.5% | 2023 |
| 92 |  Sierra Leone | 34.3% | 2023 |
| 93 |  St. Lucia | 34.0% | 2023 |
| 94 |  Andorra | 34.0% | 2023 |
| 95 |  Sri Lanka | 34.0% | 2023 |
| 96 |  United States | 33.9% | 2023 |
| 97 |  Mexico | 33.6% | 2023 |
| 98 |  Norway | 33.5% | 2023 |
| 99 |  Tuvalu | 33.3% | 2023 |
| 100 |  Italy | 32.9% | 2023 |
| 101 |  Germany | 32.7% | 2023 |
| 102 |  Guatemala | 32.6% | 2023 |
| 103 |  France | 32.5% | 2023 |
| 104 |  Serbia | 32.4% | 2023 |
| 105 |  Switzerland | 32.4% | 2023 |
| 106 |  Cuba | 31.2% | 2023 |
| 107 |  World | 31.1% | 2022 |
| 108 |  Poland | 31.1% | 2023 |
| 109 |  Greece | 30.3% | 2023 |
| 110 |  Romania | 30.1% | 2023 |
| 111 |  Turkiye | 29.5% | 2023 |
| 112 |  Eswatini | 29.1% | 2023 |
| 113 |  Albania | 28.8% | 2023 |
| 114 |  El Salvador | 27.5% | 2023 |
| 115 |  Benin | 26.5% | 2023 |
| 116 |  Botswana | 26.3% | 2023 |
| 117 |  Nicaragua | 25.8% | 2023 |
| 118 |  Chile | 25.0% | 2023 |
| 119 |  St. Martin (French part) | 24.8% | 2023 |
| 120 |  Guinea | 24.7% | 2023 |
| 121 |  India | 24.5% | 2023 |
| 122 |  Philippines | 24.5% | 2023 |
| 123 |  British Virgin Islands | 24.1% | 2023 |
| 124 |  China | 24.0% | 2023 |
| 125 |  Nigeria | 23.2% | 2023 |
| 126 |  Belgium | 22.6% | 2023 |
| 127 |  Hungary | 22.4% | 2023 |
| 128 |  Malawi | 22.4% | 2023 |
| 129 |  Gambia, The | 22.3% | 2023 |
| 130 |  Burkina Faso | 22.2% | 2023 |
| 131 |  Togo | 22.1% | 2023 |
| 132 |  Madagascar | 21.3% | 2023 |
| 133 |  Singapore | 20.9% | 2023 |
| 134 |  Mauritius | 19.5% | 2023 |
| 135 |  Cyprus | 18.7% | 2023 |
| 136 |  Bermuda | 18.5% | 2023 |
| 137 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 18.0% | 2023 |
| 138 |  Australia | 17.4% | 2023 |
| 139 |  Comoros | 17.0% | 2023 |
| 140 |  Ukraine | 16.8% | 2023 |
| 141 |  San Marino | 16.7% | 2023 |
| 142 |  Denmark | 15.8% | 2023 |
| 143 |  Ethiopia | 14.9% | 2023 |
| 144 |  Barbados | 14.7% | 2023 |
| 145 |  Bangladesh | 14.5% | 2023 |
| 146 |  Lebanon | 14.2% | 2023 |
| 147 |  Azerbaijan | 14.1% | 2023 |
| 148 |  South Africa | 14.0% | 2023 |
| 149 |  United Kingdom | 13.3% | 2023 |
| 150 |  Morocco | 12.9% | 2023 |
| 151 |  Tonga | 12.4% | 2023 |
| 152 |  Haiti | 12.3% | 2023 |
| 153 |  Uruguay | 12.0% | 2023 |
| 154 |  Moldova | 11.7% | 2023 |
| 155 |  Armenia | 11.6% | 2023 |
| 156 |  Cabo Verde | 11.6% | 2023 |
| 157 |  Ireland | 11.5% | 2023 |
| 158 |  South Sudan | 11.3% | 2023 |
| 159 |  Rwanda | 11.3% | 2023 |
| 160 |  Turks and Caicos Islands | 11.1% | 2023 |
| 161 |  Netherlands | 11.1% | 2023 |
| 162 |  Uganda | 11.0% | 2023 |
| 163 |  Mali | 10.9% | 2023 |
| 164 |  Burundi | 10.9% | 2023 |
| 165 |  Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 10.9% | 2023 |
| 166 |  Argentina | 10.3% | 2023 |
| 167 |  Sudan | 9.6% | 2023 |
| 168 |  Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 9.2% | 2023 |
| 169 |  Mongolia | 9.1% | 2023 |
| 170 |  Turkmenistan | 8.8% | 2023 |
| 171 |  Eritrea | 8.6% | 2023 |
| 172 |  Uzbekistan | 8.5% | 2023 |
| 173 |  Cote d'Ivoire | 7.9% | 2023 |
| 174 |  Namibia | 7.8% | 2023 |
| 175 |  Kyrgyz Republic | 7.1% | 2023 |
| 176 |  Iran, Islamic Rep. | 6.6% | 2023 |
| 177 |  Israel | 6.5% | 2023 |
| 178 |  Kenya | 6.2% | 2023 |
| 179 |  Isle of Man | 6.1% | 2023 |
| 180 |  Channel Islands | 5.2% | 2021 |
| 181 |  Pakistan | 4.7% | 2023 |
| 182 |  Tunisia | 4.6% | 2023 |
| 183 |  United Arab Emirates | 4.5% | 2023 |
| 184 |  Chad | 3.2% | 2023 |
| 185 |  Tajikistan | 3.1% | 2023 |
| 186 |  Syrian Arab Republic | 2.8% | 2023 |
| 187 |  Maldives | 2.8% | 2023 |
| 188 |  Aruba | 2.3% | 2023 |
| 189 |  Iraq | 1.9% | 2023 |
| 190 |  Afghanistan | 1.9% | 2023 |
| 191 |  West Bank and Gaza | 1.7% | 2023 |
| 192 |  Kiribati | 1.5% | 2023 |
| 193 |  Malta | 1.4% | 2023 |
| 194 |  Kazakhstan | 1.3% | 2023 |
| 195 |  Lesotho | 1.1% | 2023 |
| 196 |  Jordan | 1.1% | 2023 |
| 197 |  Yemen, Rep. | 1.0% | 2023 |
| 198 |  Bahrain | 0.9% | 2023 |
| 199 |  Algeria | 0.8% | 2023 |
| 200 |  Niger | 0.8% | 2023 |
| 201 |  Iceland | 0.5% | 2023 |
| 202 |  Saudi Arabia | 0.5% | 2023 |
| 203 |  Kuwait | 0.4% | 2023 |
| 204 |  Mauritania | 0.3% | 2023 |
| 205 |  Djibouti | 0.3% | 2023 |
| 206 |  Curacao | 0.2% | 2023 |
| 207 |  Libya | 0.1% | 2023 |
| 208 |  Faroe Islands | 0.1% | 2023 |
| 209 |  Egypt, Arab Rep. | 0.0% | 2023 |
| 210 |  Oman | 0.0% | 2023 |
| 211 |  Greenland | 0.0% | 2023 |
| 212 |  Qatar | 0.0% | 2023 |
| 213 |  Monaco | 0.0% | 2023 |
| 214 |  Gibraltar | 0.0% | 2023 |
| 215 |  Nauru | 0.0% | 2023 |
Use this data programmatically
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Understanding Forest Area by Country
Forest area as a percentage of total land area tracks the extent of a country's forest cover. Forests are critical for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, water cycling, and the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people. The data comes from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) via the World Bank.
The most forested countries include Suriname (over 95%), Gabon, and several Pacific islands. Large economies with significant forest cover include Brazil (59%), Russia (50%), and Canada (38%). Deforestation is concentrated in the tropics — Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo lose the most forest annually.
Global forest area has declined from 31.6% of land area in 1990 to approximately 31.0% today. While the rate of loss has slowed, net deforestation continues. China and India have actually increased forest cover through massive reforestation programs, partially offsetting tropical losses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the highest forest area (%) in 2023?
Suriname has the highest forest area (%) at 94.4% as of 2023, according to World Bank data.
Which country has the lowest forest area (%) in 2023?
Nauru has the lowest forest area (%) at 0.0% as of 2023.
How many countries are ranked by forest area (%)?
215 countries have reported data for forest area (%). The data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
What is the median forest area (%) across all countries?
The median forest area (%) is 31.1% (Poland, ranked #108 out of 215 countries).