Suriname has more forest per square kilometer than any other country. Egypt has almost none.
How to Play: Guess if the country on the right has MORE or LESS forest coverage than the one on the left.
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Name B
Top 10 Most Forested Countries
Forest cover percentage is the share of a country’s land area classified as forest by FAO definitions. Tropical and Nordic countries dominate the top of the chart; deserts and intensively-farmed nations sit at the bottom.
| # | Name | Forest Cover (% of land) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suriname | 97.40 | % |
| 2 | Gabon | 91 | % |
| 3 | Guyana | 85 | % |
| 4 | Papua New Guinea | 79.50 | % |
| 5 | Solomon Islands | 77.60 | % |
| 6 | Finland | 73.70 | % |
| 7 | Brunei | 72.10 | % |
| 8 | Bhutan | 71.40 | % |
| 9 | Sweden | 68.70 | % |
| 10 | Japan | 68.40 | % |
How Forest Coverage Is Measured
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) measures forest cover via national reports verified by satellite imagery. The standard threshold is land with tree canopy over 10% on areas of at least 0.5 hectares.
Suriname’s 97% is preserved partly by geography (sparsely populated, hard interior access) and partly by long-standing logging restrictions. Most Amazon Basin countries have higher forest cover than the global average, but deforestation rates in Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru are also among the highest.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia anchor the bottom because the deserts that dominate them do not support forest cover by FAO definitions. Iceland’s 1% is a result of medieval clearcutting that left the island with almost no native woodland; recent reforestation efforts have raised it from 0.5%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the most forest?
Russia has the largest forest area in absolute terms (~815 million hectares). Suriname has the highest percentage (97%).
Has the world lost forest?
Yes. Global forest cover has declined approximately 32% since 1990, mostly from tropical deforestation in Brazil, Indonesia, and central Africa.
Why is Iceland so unforested?
Iceland was 25-40% forested when settled by Vikings around 870. Nearly all woodland was cleared by 1300 for fuel and pasture. It is now ~1% with active reforestation.
Are forests increasing anywhere?
Yes. China’s forest cover has grown from 12% in 1981 to 22.5% today through massive state reforestation programs. Several European countries are also gaining forest.
Note: Forest coverage as % of land area per FAO 2020 forest assessment, refined by 2024 national reports.
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