Key Takeaways
- India rises to 9th globally in total forest area, up from 10th position
- Country retains 3rd rank worldwide for annual forest gain
- India added 1,91,000 hectares annually between 2015-2025
- Asia leads global forest expansion, driven by China and India
India has achieved a significant milestone in forest conservation, climbing to the ninth position globally in total forest area while maintaining its third-place ranking for annual forest gain. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Global Forest Resource Assessment 2025 confirms this progress, attributing it to India’s large-scale afforestation and community protection initiatives.
Minister Hails “Major Achievement”
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav described India’s rise from 10th to 9th position as a “major achievement” in sustainable forest management. He credited growing public participation in tree plantation campaigns, particularly the ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ initiative, along with state government drives for this success.
“Here is a reason to rejoice for all Indians. We have achieved 9th rank in terms of forest area at the global level as compared to 10th spot in the previous assessment. We have also maintained our 3rd position globally in terms of annual gain. Global Forest Resource Assessment (GFRA) 2025 has been launched by FAO in Bali,” Yadav posted on X.
Global Forest Landscape
The FAO report reveals the world’s total forest area stands at 4.14 billion hectares, covering 32% of the planet’s land. More than half (54%) is concentrated in just five countries: Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States and China.
India now follows Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Indonesia among the world’s top 10 forest-rich nations.
Forest Gain Leaders
China recorded the highest annual net forest gain between 2015-2025 at 1.69 million hectares per year, followed by the Russian Federation with 9,42,000 hectares and India with 1,91,000 hectares.
Other countries with significant forest expansion include Turkiye (1,18,000 ha), Australia (1,05,000 ha), France (95,900 ha), Indonesia (94,100 ha), South Africa (87,600 ha), Canada (82,500 ha) and Vietnam (72,800 ha).
Asia Drives Global Recovery
The assessment shows Asia is the only region to record increased forest area between 1990 and 2025, led by gains in China and India. Globally, the annual rate of net forest loss has been cut by more than half – from 10.7 million hectares in the 1990s to 4.12 million hectares during 2015-2025.
The FAO emphasized Asia’s forest expansion played a key role in slowing global deforestation, though South America and Africa continue to experience the highest deforestation rates.
According to the report, 20% of the world’s forests are now in legally established protected areas, while 55% are managed under long-term conservation plans.
