Top 10 countries with largest forests in the world

Forest landscapes remain essential for regulating climate, absorbing carbon, and supporting millions of plant and animal species worldwide.

The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 (GFRA 2025) by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that the world has about 4.14 billion hectares of forest, representing 32% of global land area.

However, just five countries, Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and China, hold over half of the world’s forests, showing how heavily concentrated global woodland is.

The report also highlights that Asia is the only region with a net forest gain since 1990, mostly due to aggressive reforestation in China and India.

India has moved one step up in the 2025 global ranking thanks to these efforts.

Below is a list of top 10 countries with largest forests in 2025.

1. Russia – 833 million hectares

Russia has the largest forest area in the world, holding more than 20% of global forest cover.

Its forests are mostly boreal (taiga), stretching thousands of kilometres across Siberia.

These forests absorb huge amounts of carbon, making them one of the planet’s most important climate stabilizers.

They are home to iconic species such as the Siberian tiger, brown bears, lynx, and several migratory birds. Russia’s forests also play a major role in supporting global oxygen production and water regulation.

2. Brazil – 486 million hectares

Brazil hosts the Amazon Rainforest, the world’s largest tropical forest and often called the “lungs of the Earth.” Nearly 60% of the Amazon lies within Brazil.

The forest is home to millions of species, many not found anywhere else, and holds vast amounts of carbon.

However, Brazil faces major threats such as deforestation, illegal logging, and agricultural expansion, especially for cattle ranching and soy production.

Environmental policies and enforcement remain critical for protecting this ecosystem.

3. Canada – 369 million hectares

Canada’s forests cover about 40% of its land area, dominated by the Boreal Forest, which stretches coast-to-coast across the country.

These forests support wildlife such as moose, wolves, black bears, grizzly bears, reindeer, and numerous bird species.

In addition to biodiversity, Canada’s forests play a key role in carbon sequestration, timber production, and supporting Indigenous communities whose cultures and livelihoods are tied to the forest.

4. United States – 309 million hectares

The United States has a highly diverse range of forests from the giant redwoods of California and the dense coniferous forests of Alaska to the Appalachian hardwoods and Hawaii’s tropical rainforests.

These forests support species like bison, elk, cougars, wolves, and thousands of bird and insect species.

The U.S. also invests heavily in forest management, wildfire control, and conservation, though climate change has intensified wildfire risks in recent years.

5. China – 227 million hectares

China is one of the world’s most remarkable reforestation success stories. Once heavily deforested, China has spent decades planting billions of trees through programs such as the Great Green Wall.

Between 2015 and 2025, China recorded the largest net gain in forest area of all countries.

Its forests now help fight desertification, reduce, soil erosion, protect watersheds, improve air quality, and support wildlife across provinces.

6. Democratic Republic of the Congo – 139 million hectares

The DRC contains a large portion of the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest after the Amazon.

This forest is extremely rich in biodiversity, home to mountain gorillas, forest elephants, chimpanzees, okapi, and thousands of plant species.

Despite its ecological importance, the DRC faces challenges such as illegal mining, logging, and poverty-driven forest clearing.

7. Australia – 134 million hectares

Australia’s forests range from tropical rainforests in Queensland to eucalyptus woodlands, savanna forests, and the temperate forests of Tasmania.

These ecosystems host many unique species found nowhere else on Earth, such as koalas, kangaroos, wombats, and cockatoos.

However, Australia is highly vulnerable to wildfires, worsened by heatwaves and climate change, leading to massive loss of trees and wildlife in some years.

8. Indonesia – 96 million hectares

Indonesia’s rainforests on Sumatra, Borneo and Papua are among the most biodiverse in the world.

They provide habitat for orangutans, Sumatran tigers, hornbills, and many endangered species.

Deforestation due to palm oil plantations, timber extraction, and illegal logging has been a major issue. Still, recent conservation efforts and community-based forest management are helping slow the decline.

9. India – 73 million hectares

India has shown impressive progress, moving up one global position due to renewed reforestation and forest conservation policies.

Its forests are extremely diverse: the Sundarbans mangroves, the Western Ghats rainforests, the Central Indian teak forests, and the Himalayan pine and deodar forests.

India’s forests support tigers, elephants, leopards, rhinos, and many unique bird species. The country continues to plant millions of trees yearly as part of climate and environmental restoration programmes.

10. Peru – 67 million hectares

Most of Peru’s forests lie in the Amazon Basin, making it one of the world’s most ecologically rich countries.

These forests are home to Indigenous communities who depend on the land for survival.

Peru faces threats such as illegal gold mining agricultural clearing and infrastructure expansion, which put pressure on its ecosystems, though conservation efforts are ongoing.