China, Russia, India, Türkiye and Australia are driving a global surge in reforestation, with the “big five” responsible for a sharp rise in forest growing stock. That is according to new data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s State of the Forest Report 2025, published last month, which reports that global growing stock has climbed from 592 billion cubic metres to 630 billion cubic metres in the 25 years since 2000.
The FAO report compiles information from more than 238 countries and territories—representing over 97 per cent of the world’s forests—and tracks 50 variables ranging from forest extent and condition to management and use. “The global forest growing stock per unit area increased by 11 per cent between 1990 and 2025, with growth in all regions and nearly all subregions,” the report said. “The increase was particularly marked in Europe and East Asia, driven by factors such as improved forest management and large-scale reforestation programmes.”
Globally, 29 per cent of forests are designated for production, including logging and other commercial activities, while more than 36 per cent are managed for environmental or multiple-use purposes such as biodiversity conservation and water protection. Smaller portions are allocated to social services, soil and water protection, or other uses. Nearly one in five forests worldwide falls into the “unknown” category, reflecting gaps in monitoring and classification.
Europe remains the region with the largest share of forest area designated for production, at 53 per cent. However, it also reported the lowest share of forest area designated for biodiversity conservation at just 4 per cent. “If data for the Russian Federation are subtracted, the proportion of forest area designated for production in Europe is about 40 per cent, which is still the highest share among the regions, and the proportion of forest designated for biodiversity conservation is on par with the global average of 12 per cent,” the FAO said.
The FAO also tracked long-term shifts in forest production trends. “The area of forest designated primarily for production decreased by 2.70 million hectares per year in 1990–2000 and by 1.49 million hectares per year in 2000–2015, before increasing by 1.97 million hectares per year in 2015–2025,” the report said. “The shift to an increasing trend was driven mainly by Europe and especially the Russian Federation, which reported an annual increase of 4.57 million hectares in 2015–2025.”
And whilst Europe’s share of forest designated for production fell slightly, from 55 per cent to 54 per cent, Asia saw a sharper decline, from 42 per cent in 1990 to 32 per cent in 2025. Africa’s share decreased marginally, Oceania remained steady, and South America rose from 8 per cent to 11 per cent over the same period. North and Central America reported a slight increase since 1990.
For more information about the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s State of the Forest Report 2025—which is published every five years as part of the Global Forest Resources Assessment—click here to access the full report.
