Turkey ranks first in Europe and fourth worldwide in forest area increase
Despite global threats to forests from climate change and industrialization, Turkey has made significant gains in expanding its forested lands over the past decade
According to the latest Global Forest Resources Assessment released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Turkey saw one of the highest increases in forest area between 2015 and 2025. While global forested land currently covers an estimated 4.14 billion hectares—about 32 percent of the world’s land surface—the growth in Turkey stands out, particularly against a backdrop of overall decline in some regions. On a per capita basis, the world average is 0.50 hectares of forest, with tropical regions making up 45 percent of global forests.
The report highlights that though worldwide forest loss has slowed in recent years—from 10.7 million hectares lost annually in the 1990s to 4.12 million in the last decade—certain areas, especially South America and Africa, continue to see significant declines. China led worldwide forest expansion with an average of 1.69 million hectares of new forest each year, followed by Russia and India. Turkey, with an average increase of 118,000 hectares annually, claimed the top spot in Europe and placed fourth globally, trailing the likes of China, Russia, and India, but ahead of countries such as Australia, France, Indonesia, and Canada.
Conversely, Brazil suffered the most severe forest losses, with nearly 2.94 million hectares disappearing yearly since 2015. Other countries facing major losses include Angola, Tanzania, Myanmar, and Congo. The assessment also notes that forest fires are the leading cause of forest damage, affecting an annual average of 130 million hectares between 2007 and 2019. Other factors like insects, diseases, and extreme weather events also threaten forests. On a positive note, legally protected forest areas have expanded globally to cover 813 million hectares, or 20 percent of all forested land.
