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...

Countries reporting
182
Highest
100 %
Saudi Arabia
Lowest
0 %
Saint Barthélemy
Median
18.13 %
Years covered
36
1990–2025
Data points
1,307

What the numbers show

15.2.1 Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas — Value is currently reported for 182 countries. The highest value is 100 % in Saudi Arabia; the lowest is 0 % in Saint Barthélemy.

The median across all reporting countries is 18.13 %, and the mean is 23.56 %.

Over the past decade 62 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 LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Saudi Arabia 100 % 2025 unchanged flat
1 Norfolk Island 100 % 2025 unchanged flat
1 Réunion 72.98 % 2025 down 7.8% volatile
3 Uzbekistan 99.74 % 2025 up 12.4% rising
4 Cook Islands 95.64 % 2025 unchanged flat
5 Faroe Islands 87.5 % 2025 unchanged flat
6 Zambia 82.55 % 2025 up 18.7% rising
7 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 78.32 % 2025 unchanged rising
8 Sri Lanka 69.47 % 2025 up 17.4% rising
9 Pitcairn 66.67 % 2025 unchanged flat
10 Netherlands (Kingdom of the) 59.48 % 2025 unchanged rising
11 Nepal 59.32 % 2025 up 8.8% rising
12 Indonesia 54.48 % 2025 down 0.0% rising
13 Belize 54.46 % 2025 down 0.7% flat
14 Guinea 54.38 % 2025 unchanged 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
18 Guatemala 50.29 % 2025 down 2.6% falling
19 Kenya 49.66 % 2025 down 2.2% flat
20 Cabo Verde 48.33 % 2025 unchanged flat
21 Mozambique 47.07 % 2025 up 13.5% rising
22 Montserrat 46.69 % 2025 down 2.6% volatile
23 Rwanda 45.8 % 2025 unchanged flat
24 Chad 45.62 % 2025 up 28.7% rising
25 Croatia 45.47 % 2025 unchanged volatile
26 Hungary 42.52 % 2025 unchanged volatile
27 Thailand 41.28 % 2025 unchanged flat
28 Burundi 41.12 % 2025 unchanged flat
28 Bhutan 41.12 % 2025 up 1.1% flat
30 Sierra Leone 40.65 % 2025 up 348.7% volatile
31 Spain 40.18 % 2020 up 1.4% volatile
32 Bahrain 39.42 % 2025 unchanged flat
33 Mauritius 38.72 % 2025 unchanged rising
34 Türkiye 37.79 % 2025 up 13.0% rising
35 Romania 37.76 % 2025 unchanged volatile
36 Dominica 37.02 % 2025 unchanged flat
37 Slovenia 36.32 % 2025 up 76.4% volatile
38 New Zealand 36.22 % 2025 unchanged rising
39 Benin 36.01 % 2025 unchanged flat
40 Kazakhstan 35.69 % 2025 up 9.4% volatile
41 Cuba 35.59 % 2025 up 93.3% volatile
42 Syrian Arab Republic 35.54 % 2025 up 0.7% flat
43 Dominican Republic 35.21 % 2025 up 3.2% flat
44 Turks and Caicos Islands 34.98 % 2025 unchanged flat
45 Cambodia 34.84 % 2025 unchanged falling
46 United Republic of Tanzania 34.45 % 2025 unchanged flat
47 Azerbaijan 34.42 % 2025 unchanged rising
48 Madagascar 34.35 % 2025 unchanged rising
49 Poland 33.92 % 2025 up 0.8% volatile
50 Lithuania 32.69 % 2025 up 55.4% rising
51 Saint Lucia 32.56 % 2025 unchanged rising
52 Italy 31.76 % 2025 unchanged rising
53 Guadeloupe 31.65 % 2025 up 0.8% flat
54 Liechtenstein 31.53 % 2025 unchanged rising
55 Malawi 30.91 % 2025 unchanged flat
56 Guinea-Bissau 30.39 % 2025 unchanged flat
57 French Guiana 30 % 2025 down 1.6% rising
59 Georgia 29.44 % 2025 up 233.4% volatile
60 Malaysia 29.1 % 2025 up 14.5% rising
61 Germany 28.92 % 2025 unchanged rising
62 Belgium 26.59 % 2025 up 1.6% volatile
63 Ecuador 25.79 % 2025 down 1.6% rising
64 Lao People's Democratic Republic 25.66 % 2025 down 1.6% falling
65 Martinique 25.64 % 2025 unchanged rising
66 Seychelles 24.39 % 2025 unchanged flat
67 Chile 23.95 % 2025 up 16.0% rising
68 Equatorial Guinea 23.73 % 2025 unchanged rising
69 Philippines 23.59 % 2025 unchanged flat
70 Russian Federation 23.36 % 2025 up 6.6% rising
71 Jamaica 22.93 % 2025 up 2.3% flat
72 Estonia 22.74 % 2025 up 10.5% rising
73 Republic of Moldova 22.39 % 2025 up 14.1% rising
74 Nigeria 22.32 % 2025 unchanged flat
75 Albania 21.74 % 2025 unchanged rising
76 Zimbabwe 21.51 % 2025 unchanged flat
77 Colombia 20.99 % 2025 up 4.3% rising
77 Mongolia 20.99 % 2025 unchanged rising
79 Namibia 20.95 % 2025 unchanged flat
80 Singapore 20.34 % 2025 unchanged flat
81 Ghana 20.27 % 2025 down 7.6% flat
82 Puerto Rico 19.87 % 2025 up 44.9% rising
83 Gabon 19.66 % 2025 down 5.2% rising
84 Australia and New Zealand 19.34 % 2025 up 0.8% rising
85 Niger 19.27 % 2025 unchanged flat
86 New Caledonia 19.05 % 2025 unchanged rising
87 Belarus 19.04 % 2025 up 47.3% rising
88 India 18.45 % 2025 up 8.3% rising
89 Latvia 18.33 % 2025 up 14.5% falling
90 Cameroon 18.18 % 2025 down 4.7% flat
90 Israel 18.18 % 2025 down 16.7% rising
92 Australia 18.09 % 2025 up 0.9% rising
93 Ethiopia 17.68 % 2025 unchanged flat
94 Serbia 17.21 % 2025 up 5.8% rising
95 Bangladesh 16.69 % 2025 up 18.5% rising
96 Myanmar 16.55 % 2025 unchanged volatile
97 Micronesia (Federated States of) 16.18 % 2025 unchanged flat
98 Djibouti 15.93 % 2025 unchanged volatile
99 Côte d'Ivoire 15.87 % 2025 down 46.7% falling
100 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15.73 % 2025 unchanged flat
101 Viet Nam 15.63 % 2025 up 4.3% rising
102 Bulgaria 15.55 % 2025 down 15.4% rising
103 Finland 14.75 % 2025 up 6.0% rising
104 Lesotho 14.48 % 2025 unchanged flat
105 China, mainland 14.47 % 2025 up 6.4% rising
106 Czechia 14.28 % 2025 down 5.5% rising
107 Democratic Republic of the Congo 14.14 % 2025 up 4.7% rising
108 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 14.05 % 2025 unchanged flat
109 Polynesia 14.04 % 2025 unchanged flat
110 Mexico 13.6 % 2025 up 10.9% rising
111 Denmark 13.18 % 2025 up 96.7% volatile
112 Grenada 13.11 % 2025 unchanged flat
113 Congo 12.97 % 2025 up 5.1% rising
114 Iraq 12.76 % 2025 unchanged flat
115 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 12.69 % 2025 up 1.5% flat
116 Cayman Islands 12.34 % 2025 unchanged flat
117 Bahamas 11.76 % 2025 unchanged flat
118 Senegal 11.75 % 2025 up 0.1% rising
119 Suriname 11.74 % 2025 down 7.8% flat
120 Sudan 11.42 % 2025 unchanged rising
121 Burkina Faso 11.31 % 2025 down 3.4% falling
122 Saint Martin (French Part) 11.29 % 2025 unchanged rising
123 Botswana 10.89 % 2025 unchanged flat
124 Angola 10.29 % 2025 unchanged volatile
125 Cyprus 10.05 % 2025 up 3.1% rising
126 Canada 9.75 % 2025 up 14.7% rising
127 Tajikistan 9.25 % 2025 unchanged flat
128 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 9.19 % 2025 unchanged flat
129 Brazil 9.14 % 2025 up 7.0% rising
129 Tunisia 9.14 % 2025 up 0.7% rising
131 Haiti 8.93 % 2025 up 3.4% flat
132 Micronesia 8.76 % 2025 unchanged flat
133 Togo 8.65 % 2025 unchanged flat
134 Trinidad and Tobago 8.47 % 2025 unchanged flat
135 Sweden 8.4 % 2025 up 10.8% rising
136 Gambia 8.2 % 2025 unchanged flat
137 Aruba 8.16 % 2025 unchanged flat
138 Algeria 7.72 % 2025 up 8.1% rising
139 Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba 7.6 % 2025 unchanged flat
140 Kyrgyzstan 7.45 % 2025 down 2.1% rising
141 Republic of Korea 7.18 % 2025 up 2.3% rising
142 Andorra 7.11 % 2025 unchanged flat
143 Mali 6.7 % 2025 unchanged flat
144 Lebanon 6.03 % 2025 up 0.5% flat
145 Guyana 5.92 % 2025 up 0.2% volatile
146 Yemen 5.83 % 2025 unchanged flat
147 Norway 5.81 % 2025 up 38.0% rising
148 Eritrea 5.48 % 2025 unchanged flat
149 Eswatini 5.13 % 2025 up 43.7% volatile
150 Brunei Darussalam 5 % 2025 unchanged flat
151 French Polynesia 4.95 % 2025 unchanged rising
152 Libya 4.89 % 2025 unchanged flat
153 Jordan 4.81 % 2025 unchanged flat
154 Morocco 4.58 % 2025 down 0.2% volatile
155 Melanesia 4.26 % 2025 unchanged rising
156 United Arab Emirates 4.24 % 2025 up 32.9% rising
157 Papua New Guinea 3.98 % 2025 unchanged flat
158 Bermuda 3.85 % 2025 unchanged flat
159 South Sudan 3.84 % 2025 unchanged flat
160 Afghanistan 3.81 % 2025 unchanged flat
161 Argentina 3.76 % 2025 up 19.0% rising
162 Qatar 3.57 % 2025 unchanged flat
163 Uruguay 3.04 % 2025 up 28.8% volatile
164 British Virgin Islands 3.01 % 2025 unchanged rising
165 Iceland 2.99 % 2025 up 160.0% volatile
166 Guam 1.73 % 2025 unchanged flat
167 Marshall Islands 1.49 % 2025 unchanged flat
168 Kuwait 1.31 % 2025 unchanged flat
169 Maldives 0.81 % 2025 unchanged flat
170 Egypt 0.74 % 2025 unchanged flat
171 Somalia 0.59 % 2025 unchanged flat
172 Vanuatu 0.33 % 2025 unchanged flat
173 Mauritania 0.31 % 2025 unchanged rising
174 Anguilla 0.18 % 2025 unchanged flat
175 Northern Mariana Islands 0.12 % 2025 unchanged flat
176 Comoros 0 % 2025 flat
176 Greenland 0 % 2025 flat
176 Oman 0 % 2025 flat
176 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 0 % 2025 flat
176 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0 % 2025 flat
176 Wallis and Futuna Islands 0 % 2025 flat
176 Saint Barthélemy 0 % 2025 flat

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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15.2.1 Proportion of forest area within legally established protected by country. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 16 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/15-2-1-proportion-of-forest-area-within-legally-established-protected-areas-value/

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About this data

Indicator
15.2.1 Proportion of forest area within legally established protected areas — Value
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
220 places, 1,307 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

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.