Powering a greener tomorrow: India moves up to 9th spot in forest area, retains 3rd in annual gain
India has climbed to 9th position globally in forest area and retained its third rank in annual forest area gain, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s latest report.
Sharing the news on X, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said the improvement in India’s ranking marks a "major achievement" in sustainable forest management and ecological conservation.
“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,” Yadav said.
The FAO launched its Global Forest Resource Assessment (GFRA) 2025 in Bali.
Yadav said the achievement comes on the back of the Modi government's planning and policies for the protection and enhancement of the forest and massive plantation efforts by state governments.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s call to plant 'Ek Ped Ma ke Naam', and push for environmental consciousness, are building awareness and increasing involvement of communities and individuals for afforestation. This will ensure a greener tomorrow for generations to come,” he said.
According to the report, the world has a total forest area of 4.14 billion hectares, which is close to one-third (32 per cent) of the global land area and equivalent to 0.50 hectares of forest per person.
Europe has the largest forest area, accounting for 25 per cent of the world’s total, while South America has the highest proportion of forest, at 49 per cent of the total land area.
More than half (54 per cent) of the world’s forests are in just five countries—Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States and China.
The report noted that the annual rate of net forest loss fell from 10.7 million hectares in 1990–2000 to 4.12 million hectares in 2015–2025. The FAO attributed this to reduced deforestation in some countries and the expansion of forest area in others.
The report noted that an estimated 489 million hectares of forest have been lost worldwide through deforestation since 1990, though the rate of loss has slowed.
The deforestation rate was estimated at 10.9 million hectares per year in 2015–2025, down from 13.6 million hectares per year in 2000–2015 and 17.6 million hectares per year in 1990–2000, it said.
India