Forest Area
Land area covered by forests, expressed as a percentage of total land area.
Quick Reference
Unit
% of land area
Category
Environment
Metric Code
forest_area_pct
How It's Calculated
Total forest area (land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and canopy cover > 10%, or able to reach these thresholds in situ) divided by total land area, multiplied by 100. Based on FAO Forest Resources Assessment using national forest inventories, remote sensing (satellite imagery), and statistical modeling.
Why It Matters
Forests provide critical ecosystem services: carbon sequestration (climate regulation), biodiversity habitat, water cycle regulation, soil protection, and livelihoods for 1.6 billion people. Deforestation is a major driver of climate change (10% of global emissions) and biodiversity loss. Forest area is SDG Indicator 15.1.1 - tracking progress toward sustainable forest management.
Understanding the Values
Very Low: < 10% (arid/desert countries - limited forest potential) Low: 10-25% (deforested or naturally sparse - reforestation needed) Moderate: 25-50% (balanced land use - some countries) High: 50-70% (forest-rich - Amazon, Congo, Southeast Asia) Very High: > 70% (heavily forested - Finland 73%, Suriname 98%) SDG Target 15.1: By 2030, ensure conservation and sustainable use of forests Global average: ~31% (2020) Global deforestation: ~10 million hectares/year (2015-2020) Note: Percentage alone doesn't indicate forest quality (old-growth vs plantations) or biodiversity value.
Related Metrics
Protected Areas Coverage
Terrestrial and marine areas protected for biodiversity conservation, as a percentage of total territorial area.
Threatened Species Count
Total number of species threatened with extinction (IUCN Red List categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable).
Renewable Energy Consumption
Renewable energy consumption as percentage of total final energy consumption.
Data Quality & Coverage
Coverage: 234 countries/territories Update frequency: Annual (FAO FRA every 5 years for ground-truth) Sources: World Bank / FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment Limitations: Definition includes tree plantations and monocultures (lower biodiversity). Remote sensing can miss degradation (canopy remains, understory lost). Does not capture forest quality, age, or ecosystem health. Afforestation (new forests) and reforestation (restored forests) counted equally with primary forests.