India Becomes the Ninth Country with the Largest Forest Area Globally
India has achieved the ninth position globally in terms of total forest area, marking a significant milestone in global environmental conservation. Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav announced this on Wednesday in Bali, referring to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
He stated that this remarkable progress highlights the success of the policies and programs of the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed at forest conservation, afforestation, and community-led environmental action.
Yadav wrote in a post on X, "India is ranked ninth in the Global Forest Assessment 2025. We have improved from the 10th position in the previous assessment to the 9th position globally in terms of forest area. We have also maintained our third position globally in terms of annual gains. FAO has launched the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 in Bali."
The minister said that this achievement was due to the Modi government’s plans and policies for forest conservation and promotion, as well as large-scale tree plantation efforts by state governments.
He added, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for planting a sapling in the name of a mother and promoting environmental awareness is increasing consciousness and boosting the participation of communities and individuals in afforestation. This will ensure a greener future for coming generations."
Yadav said that increasing public participation is fostering a strong sense of collective responsibility towards a green and sustainable future. According to the FAO report, the world's total forest area is 4.14 billion hectares, covering 32 percent of the Earth's land area. The report states that more than half of the forest area (54 percent) is in just five countries - Russia, Brazil, Canada, the USA, and China.
India, after Australia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia, is among the top 10 forest-rich countries globally. Furthermore, China recorded the highest annual net increase in forest area between 2015 and 2025 with 1.69 million hectares per year, followed by Russia with 942,000 hectares and India with 191,000 hectares.
Other countries with significant forest expansion include Turkey (118,000 hectares), Australia (105,000 hectares), France (95,900 hectares), Indonesia (94,100 hectares), South Africa (87,600 hectares), Canada (82,500 hectares), and Vietnam (72,800 hectares).