Key results

The global progress towards sustainable forest management is evident; however, a high rate of forest loss persists.

The proportion of the world’s total land area covered by forest has declined from 31.9 percent in 2000 (4.2 billion ha) to 31.5 percent in 2010, further decreasing to 31.2 percent (4.1 billion ha) by 2020. Over the past two decades, net forest area losses have amounted to nearly 100 million ha. However, there has been a slight deceleration in the rate of loss observed over the last ten years.

The global trend reflects opposing regional dynamics. Asia, Europe and Northern America showed an overall increase in forest area from 2000 to 2020 due to afforestation, forest restoration efforts, and natural forest expansion. This expansion slowed down from 2010 to 2020 compared to the period from 2000 to 2010. On the other hand, large forest area losses occurred over the past two decades in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, with LDCs particularly impacted by forest area reductions. While livestock grazing is the primary cause of deforestation in Latin America, in sub-Saharan Africa, forest loss mostly stems from cropland expansion.

Highlights

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Capacity development

Methodology

Tier: I

Data

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