Share of global forest area under a long-term forest management plan (FRA)

This statistic measures the percentage of a country’s forest area that is covered by a long-term forest management plan (typically multi‑year plans that guide sustainable use, conservation, monitoring, and harvesting rules). It is a useful proxy for how systematically forests are managed, beyond just how much forest exists.

FAO collects these figures through its Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), compiled from official national reporting. Countries differ substantially: some report near-universal coverage of forest area by management plans, while others report limited planning coverage due to capacity constraints, fragmented land tenure, or weak forest governance. Interpreting comparisons requires care because national definitions and plan types can vary, and some countries report “0” when management planning exists only locally or is not captured in national reporting.