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The FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) is a collation of forest data undertaken by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at the global level every five years.

The UK is one of the least densely forested countries in the European Union with around 13% of its total land area covered in forest in 2015 (Table 9.1, Figure 9.1). This compares with 38% for the EU as a whole and 31% worldwide.

Table 9.1 Forest cover as a percentage of total land area: international comparisons, 2015

Country Forest area (million ha) Total land area (million ha) Forest as % of land area
Europe      
    United Kingdom 3 24 13
    Denmark 1 4 14
    Finland 22 30 73
    France 17 55 31
    Germany 11 35 33
    Ireland 1 7 11
    Italy 9 29 32
    Spain 18 50 37
    Sweden 28 41 68
    Other EU 50 148 34
    Total EU-281 161 424 38
    Russian Federation 815 1638 50
Total Europe 1015 2214 46
    Africa 624 2987 21
    Asia 593 3118 19
    North & Central America 751 2134 35
    Oceania 174 850 20
    South America 842 1747 48
   World 3999 13049 31

Source: FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015.

Notes:

1. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO’s Asia region.

2. The Europe region covers 27 EU countries (excluding Cyprus), the Russian Federation and other countries, including Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and Ukraine.

These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics.  For further information see the Sources chapter.

Figure 9.1 Forest cover: international comparisons, 2015

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Source: FAO.

These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics.  For further information see the Sources chapter.

Additional resources

Sources chapter: International Forestry

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