15.2.1 Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas — Value by country
As the custodian agency of 22 SDG indicators, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is responsible for curating and refining the methodologies of these indicators, collecting data from national sources, ensuring their quality and compatibility with applicable standards and...
What the numbers show
15.2.1 Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas — Value is currently reported for 179 countries. The highest value is 100 % in Saudi Arabia; the lowest is 0.12 % in Northern Mariana Islands.
The median across all reporting countries is 18.33 %, and the mean is 24.3 %.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 833.
Over the past decade 63 countries rose and 20 fell. The largest increase was in Sierra Leone (up 348.7%), and the largest decrease in Côte d'Ivoire (down 46.7%).
15.2.1 Proportion of forest area within legally established protected: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 100 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Norfolk Island | 100 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 78.32 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Cabo Verde | 48.33 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 2 | Türkiye | 37.79 % | 2025 | up 13.0% | rising |
| 3 | Uzbekistan | 99.74 % | 2025 | up 12.4% | rising |
| 3 | Syrian Arab Republic | 35.54 % | 2025 | up 0.7% | flat |
| 4 | Cook Islands | 95.64 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 4 | United Republic of Tanzania | 34.45 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Faroe Islands | 87.5 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 6 | Zambia | 82.55 % | 2025 | up 18.7% | rising |
| 6 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 25.66 % | 2025 | down 1.6% | falling |
| 7 | Réunion | 72.98 % | 2025 | down 7.8% | volatile |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | 69.47 % | 2025 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 8 | Caribbean | 29.93 % | 2025 | up 37.2% | rising |
| 8 | Republic of Moldova | 22.39 % | 2025 | up 14.1% | rising |
| 9 | Pitcairn | 66.67 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 9 | Micronesia (Federated States of) | 16.18 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 59.48 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 10 | Viet Nam | 15.63 % | 2025 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 11 | Nepal | 59.32 % | 2025 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 11 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 14.14 % | 2025 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 12 | Indonesia | 54.48 % | 2025 | down 0.0% | rising |
| 12 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 14.05 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 13 | Belize | 54.46 % | 2025 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 13 | Polynesia | 14.04 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 14 | Guinea | 54.38 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 14 | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 12.69 % | 2025 | up 1.5% | flat |
| 15 | Slovakia | 54.25 % | 2025 | up 3.6% | volatile |
| 16 | Uganda | 53.93 % | 2025 | up 26.5% | falling |
| 17 | Sao Tome and Principe | 53.61 % | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 17 | Micronesia | 8.76 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 18 | Guatemala | 50.29 % | 2025 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 18 | Melanesia | 4.26 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 19 | Kenya | 49.66 % | 2025 | down 2.2% | flat |
| 20 | Mozambique | 47.07 % | 2025 | up 13.5% | rising |
| 21 | Montserrat | 46.69 % | 2025 | down 2.6% | volatile |
| 22 | Rwanda | 45.8 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 23 | Chad | 45.62 % | 2025 | up 28.7% | rising |
| 23 | Côte d'Ivoire | 15.87 % | 2025 | down 46.7% | falling |
| 24 | Croatia | 45.47 % | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 25 | Hungary | 42.52 % | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 26 | Thailand | 41.28 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 27 | Burundi | 41.12 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 27 | Bhutan | 41.12 % | 2025 | up 1.1% | flat |
| 29 | Sierra Leone | 40.65 % | 2025 | up 348.7% | volatile |
| 30 | Spain | 40.18 % | 2020 | up 1.4% | volatile |
| 31 | Bahrain | 39.42 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 32 | Mauritius | 38.72 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 33 | Romania | 37.76 % | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 34 | Dominica | 37.02 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 35 | Slovenia | 36.32 % | 2025 | up 76.4% | volatile |
| 36 | New Zealand | 36.22 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 37 | Benin | 36.01 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 38 | Kazakhstan | 35.69 % | 2025 | up 9.4% | volatile |
| 39 | Cuba | 35.59 % | 2025 | up 93.3% | volatile |
| 40 | Dominican Republic | 35.21 % | 2025 | up 3.2% | flat |
| 41 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 34.98 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Cambodia | 34.84 % | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 43 | Azerbaijan | 34.42 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 44 | Madagascar | 34.35 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 45 | Poland | 33.92 % | 2025 | up 0.8% | volatile |
| 46 | Lithuania | 32.69 % | 2025 | up 55.4% | rising |
| 47 | Saint Lucia | 32.56 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 48 | Italy | 31.76 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 49 | Guadeloupe | 31.65 % | 2025 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 50 | Liechtenstein | 31.53 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 51 | Malawi | 30.91 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 52 | Guinea-Bissau | 30.39 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 53 | French Guiana | 30 % | 2025 | down 1.6% | rising |
| 54 | Georgia | 29.44 % | 2025 | up 233.4% | volatile |
| 55 | Malaysia | 29.1 % | 2025 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 56 | Germany | 28.92 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 57 | Belgium | 26.59 % | 2025 | up 1.6% | volatile |
| 58 | Ecuador | 25.79 % | 2025 | down 1.6% | rising |
| 59 | Martinique | 25.64 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 60 | Seychelles | 24.39 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 61 | Chile | 23.95 % | 2025 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 62 | Equatorial Guinea | 23.73 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 63 | Philippines | 23.59 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 64 | Russian Federation | 23.36 % | 2025 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 65 | Jamaica | 22.93 % | 2025 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 66 | Estonia | 22.74 % | 2025 | up 10.5% | rising |
| 67 | Nigeria | 22.32 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Albania | 21.74 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 69 | Zimbabwe | 21.51 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 70 | Colombia | 20.99 % | 2025 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 70 | Mongolia | 20.99 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 72 | Namibia | 20.95 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Singapore | 20.34 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 74 | Ghana | 20.27 % | 2025 | down 7.6% | flat |
| 75 | Puerto Rico | 19.87 % | 2025 | up 44.9% | rising |
| 76 | Gabon | 19.66 % | 2025 | down 5.2% | rising |
| 77 | Australia and New Zealand | 19.34 % | 2025 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 78 | Niger | 19.27 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 79 | New Caledonia | 19.05 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 80 | Belarus | 19.04 % | 2025 | up 47.3% | rising |
| 81 | India | 18.45 % | 2025 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 82 | Latvia | 18.33 % | 2025 | up 14.5% | falling |
| 83 | Cameroon | 18.18 % | 2025 | down 4.7% | flat |
| 83 | Israel | 18.18 % | 2025 | down 16.7% | rising |
| 85 | Australia | 18.09 % | 2025 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 86 | Ethiopia | 17.68 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 87 | Serbia | 17.21 % | 2025 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 88 | Bangladesh | 16.69 % | 2025 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 89 | Myanmar | 16.55 % | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 90 | American Samoa | 16.03 % | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 91 | Djibouti | 15.93 % | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 92 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 15.73 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 93 | South Africa | 15.64 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 94 | Bulgaria | 15.55 % | 2025 | down 15.4% | rising |
| 95 | Finland | 14.75 % | 2025 | up 6.0% | rising |
| 96 | Lesotho | 14.48 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 97 | China, mainland | 14.47 % | 2025 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 98 | Czechia | 14.28 % | 2025 | down 5.5% | rising |
| 99 | Mexico | 13.6 % | 2025 | up 10.9% | rising |
| 100 | Denmark | 13.18 % | 2025 | up 96.7% | volatile |
| 101 | Grenada | 13.11 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 102 | Congo | 12.97 % | 2025 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 103 | Iraq | 12.76 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 104 | Cayman Islands | 12.34 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 105 | Bahamas | 11.76 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Senegal | 11.75 % | 2025 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 107 | Suriname | 11.74 % | 2025 | down 7.8% | flat |
| 108 | Sudan | 11.42 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 109 | Burkina Faso | 11.31 % | 2025 | down 3.4% | falling |
| 110 | Saint Martin (French Part) | 11.29 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 111 | Botswana | 10.89 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 112 | Angola | 10.29 % | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 113 | Cyprus | 10.05 % | 2025 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 114 | Canada | 9.75 % | 2025 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 115 | Tajikistan | 9.25 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 116 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 9.19 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 117 | Brazil | 9.14 % | 2025 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 117 | Tunisia | 9.14 % | 2025 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 119 | Haiti | 8.93 % | 2025 | up 3.4% | flat |
| 120 | Togo | 8.65 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 121 | Trinidad and Tobago | 8.47 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 122 | Sweden | 8.4 % | 2025 | up 10.8% | rising |
| 123 | Gambia | 8.2 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 124 | Aruba | 8.16 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 125 | Algeria | 7.72 % | 2025 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 126 | Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba | 7.6 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 127 | Kyrgyzstan | 7.45 % | 2025 | down 2.1% | rising |
| 128 | Republic of Korea | 7.18 % | 2025 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 129 | Andorra | 7.11 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 130 | Mali | 6.7 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 131 | Lebanon | 6.03 % | 2025 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 132 | Guyana | 5.92 % | 2025 | up 0.2% | volatile |
| 133 | Yemen | 5.83 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 134 | Norway | 5.81 % | 2025 | up 38.0% | rising |
| 135 | Eritrea | 5.48 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 136 | Eswatini | 5.13 % | 2025 | up 43.7% | volatile |
| 137 | Brunei Darussalam | 5 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 138 | French Polynesia | 4.95 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 139 | Libya | 4.89 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 140 | Jordan | 4.81 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 141 | Morocco | 4.58 % | 2025 | down 0.2% | volatile |
| 142 | United Arab Emirates | 4.24 % | 2025 | up 32.9% | rising |
| 143 | Papua New Guinea | 3.98 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Bermuda | 3.85 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 145 | South Sudan | 3.84 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 146 | Afghanistan | 3.81 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Argentina | 3.76 % | 2025 | up 19.0% | rising |
| 148 | Qatar | 3.57 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 149 | Uruguay | 3.04 % | 2025 | up 28.8% | volatile |
| 150 | British Virgin Islands | 3.01 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 151 | Iceland | 2.99 % | 2025 | up 160.0% | volatile |
| 152 | Guam | 1.73 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 153 | Marshall Islands | 1.49 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Kuwait | 1.31 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 155 | Central African Republic | 1.25 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 156 | Maldives | 0.81 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 157 | Egypt | 0.74 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 158 | Somalia | 0.59 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 159 | Vanuatu | 0.33 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 160 | Mauritania | 0.31 % | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 161 | Anguilla | 0.18 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 162 | Northern Mariana Islands | 0.12 % | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Central Asia 56.91 %
- Eastern Africa 42.47 %
- Western Asia 40.33 %
- South-Eastern Asia 38.93 %
- Asia 26.54 %
- Southern Europe 35.68 %
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 30.68 %
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 24.13 %
- Western Europe 29.68 %
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 25.95 %
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 24.95 %
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 24.95 %
- Eastern Europe 23.6 %
- Europe 23.19 %
- Sub-Saharan Africa 23.07 %
- Middle Africa 12.68 %
- Africa 22.46 %
- Small island developing States (SIDS) 10.2 %
- Southern Asia 22.1 %
- Western Africa 20.68 %
- World 19.28 %
- Northern America and Europe 17.74 %
- Oceania 16.29 %
- Central America 16.23 %
- Latin America and the Caribbean 15.28 %
- South America 15.02 %
- Southern Africa 14.84 %
- Eastern Asia 14.61 %
- Americas 12.84 %
- Northern Europe 11.6 %
- United States of America 9.99 %
- Northern Africa 9.91 %
- Northern America 9.86 %
- Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand 4.33 %
About this data
As the custodian agency of 22 SDG indicators, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is responsible for curating and refining the methodologies of these indicators, collecting data from national sources, ensuring their quality and compatibility with applicable standards and classifications, and disseminating data at global level. This FAOSTAT domain complements the global SDG database administered by the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), as well as FAO’s SDG indicators portal, by providing access to the available data for all SDG Indicators under FAO custodianship. While this metadata page provides summary information on all SDG indicators data disseminated through FAOSTAT, indicator-specific metadata can be accessed from the link on the right hand navigation column. This additional metadata file provides details on the methodology used to compile each indicators, their data sources and the contact information of the relevant FAO focal point. It includes the links to the official SDG Indicator metadata documents accessible from the UNSD global SDG database.SDG Indicators under FAO custodianship, consisting of 22 indicators and 66 series that fall under six goals: • Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.• Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.• Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.• Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production.• Goal 14: Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.• Goal 15: Life on land: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.