United States vs World: Forest area
United States
3.10 million sq. km
in 2023
World
40.35 million sq. km
in 2023
United States rank
4th
World rank
1st
Forest area over time
- United States
- World
How they compare
World currently reports 40.35 million sq. km against 3.10 million sq. km in United States, a difference of 37.25 million sq. km.
That makes World's figure about 13.0 times United States's.
Across all 32 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.
United States ranks 4th and World ranks 1st of 214 countries.
World has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United States | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.03 million sq. km | 41.48 million sq. km | 38.45 million sq. km | World |
| 2000s | 3.06 million sq. km | 40.96 million sq. km | 37.90 million sq. km | World |
| 2010s | 3.10 million sq. km | 40.71 million sq. km | 37.62 million sq. km | World |
| 2020s | 3.10 million sq. km | 40.42 million sq. km | 37.33 million sq. km | World |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher forest area, United States or World?
- World, at 40.35 million sq. km against 3.10 million sq. km in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in forest area between United States and World?
- 37.25 million sq. km, with World ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United States and World?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2023.
- How do United States and World rank globally for forest area?
- United States ranks 4th and World ranks 1st of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Forest area (sq. km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Forest area is land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in situ, whether productive or not, and excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems (for example, in fruit plantations and agroforestry systems) and trees in urban parks and gardens.