New Delhi: India has climbed to the ninth position worldwide in total forest area while maintaining its third rank in annual forest area gain, according to the latest Global Forest Resource Assessment 2025 released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The Environment Ministry credited this achievement to large-scale afforestation drives and community-led forest protection initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav called the rise from 10th to 9th place a “major achievement” in sustainable forest management and ecological conservation. He highlighted public participation in tree plantation campaigns, such as the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative, alongside extensive state-led afforestation efforts as key contributors to India’s progress.
The FAO report states that the world’s total forest area now covers 4.14 billion hectares, accounting for 32 percent of global land. Over half of this forest area is concentrated in five countries: Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and China. India follows countries like Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia, placing it firmly among the top 10 forest-rich nations.
Between 2015 and 2025, India recorded an annual net forest gain of 191,000 hectares, behind China (1.69 million hectares) and Russia (942,000 hectares). Other countries with notable forest expansion include Turkiye, Australia, France, Indonesia, South Africa, Canada, and Vietnam. The assessment shows Asia as the only region to witness an increase in forest cover between 1990 and 2025, led by China and India.
Globally, the rate of net forest loss has fallen by more than half, from 10.7 million hectares per year in the 1990s to 4.12 million hectares during 2015–2025. FAO noted that Asia’s forest gains have helped slow global deforestation, which remains most severe in South America and Africa.
The report also highlights that 20 percent of the world’s forests now fall under legally protected areas, while 55 percent are managed through long-term sustainable plans. India’s continued focus on afforestation and community-led forest management has thus played a key role in its rise among the world’s top forest nations.
