Russia Leads World in Forest Area for 2025, Followed by Brazil and Canada

Russia leads the world in forest area for 2025, boasting approximately 833 million hectares, which constitutes 20.1 percent of the global total. This extensive forest coverage is largely attributed to its geography, with much of it spanning Siberia as part of the vast boreal forest belt.

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Forests are among the planet’s most important natural resources, storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, and supplying everything from timber to clean water.

Brazil follows in second place with 486 million hectares (11.7 percent), its forests including significant tropical areas in the Amazon, underscoring its importance for global conservation and biodiversity. Canada ranks third with 369 million hectares (8.9 percent), also largely covered by boreal forests.

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Together, the 15 countries in the ranking account for nearly three-quarters of the world's forest area.

The United States is fourth with 309 million hectares (7.5 percent), where forests not only support biodiversity and store carbon but also play a crucial role in water supply, generating about 46 percent of the contiguous U.S. surface water. China is fifth with 227 million hectares (5.5 percent).

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Russia had the largest forest area in the world in 2025, covering about 833 million hectares, or 20.1 percent of the global total.

Collectively, these top five countries, Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and China, account for more than half of the world's total forest area. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Australia also feature in the top seven, highlighting the significant forest resources held by these nations.

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Brazil ranked second with about 486 million hectares of forest, equivalent to 11.7 percent of the global total.