Top 10 Most Forest-Covered Countries 2025: Interactive Green Challenge

Suriname: The Forest Champion at 94.5% Coverage

Suriname's extraordinary 94.5% forest coverage makes it the world's most forested country by percentage. This small South American nation of 597,000 people has managed to preserve virtually its entire territory as pristine tropical rainforest, creating a living laboratory of biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

The secret to Suriname's forest preservation lies in its unique combination of factors: low population density (just 4 people per square kilometer), sustainable forest management policies, limited agricultural expansion, and significant portions of land designated as protected areas and indigenous territories where traditional forest stewardship continues.

Suriname's forests contain over 1,000 tree species and serve as crucial habitat for jaguars, giant otters, harpy eagles, and thousands of other species. The Conservation International Suriname program works with local communities to maintain this exceptional forest cover while supporting sustainable livelihoods.

Guyana: The Neighbor with 93.5% Forest Cover

Guyana (93.5%) follows closely behind Suriname, demonstrating that the Guiana Shield region of South America represents the world's most intact forest landscape. Like Suriname, Guyana has maintained its forests through a combination of low population pressure, sustainable policies, and international conservation partnerships.

Guyana has pioneered innovative forest conservation financing through REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) programs, receiving international payments for maintaining forest cover. This creates economic incentives for forest conservation rather than deforestation, providing a model for other tropical countries.

The country's Low Carbon Development Strategy demonstrates how developing nations can pursue economic growth while maintaining exceptional forest cover, offering hope for global climate and biodiversity goals.

Tropical Island Champions: Micronesia and Palau

Micronesia (92.1%) and Palau (90.4%) represent how small island nations can maintain exceptional forest cover through geography and conservation commitment. These Pacific islands have preserved their native forests despite limited land area and development pressures.

Small islands often maintain high forest cover because steep terrain, coral atolls, and limited suitable agricultural land naturally preserve forested areas. However, island forests face unique challenges from sea level rise, storms, and invasive species, requiring specialized conservation approaches.

Palau has earned international recognition for environmental leadership, creating one of the world's largest marine protected areas and maintaining traditional forest management practices that have preserved 90% forest cover on land.

Gabon: Africa's Forest Leader at 91.2%

Gabon's 91.2% forest coverage makes it Africa's most forested country and demonstrates that economic development and forest preservation can coexist. This Central African nation has maintained extensive rainforests while developing significant oil and mining industries.

Gabon's forest success stems from strong government commitment to conservation, with over 13% of the country designated as national parks, sustainable forest concession systems, and policies that balance economic development with environmental protection.

The country's forests are part of the Congo Basin, the world's second-largest tropical rainforest system after the Amazon. Gabon's Wildlife Conservation Society partnership demonstrates how conservation organizations can work with governments to maintain exceptional forest cover.

Solomon Islands: Pacific Forest Conservation Success

Solomon Islands (90.1%) represents successful forest conservation in a Pacific island developing nation context. Despite economic pressures and logging interests, the Solomon Islands has maintained 90% forest cover through community-based forest management and government conservation policies.

Traditional land tenure systems in the Solomon Islands, where communities own and manage forest lands according to customary practices, have proven effective at preventing large-scale deforestation while allowing sustainable forest use for local communities.

The Geography of Forest Conservation

Analyzing our top 10 reveals clear geographical patterns in forest conservation success:

Low Population Density: All top-ranking countries have relatively low population densities, reducing pressure on forest lands for agriculture, housing, and infrastructure development.

Tropical Locations: Most high-forest-cover countries are in tropical regions where forests can grow year-round and recover quickly from disturbances, supporting higher overall forest cover percentages.

Island Geography: Many top countries are islands where steep terrain, limited arable land, and natural boundaries help preserve forest areas from agricultural expansion.

Indigenous Territories: Countries with significant indigenous populations often maintain higher forest cover through traditional land management practices that preserve forest ecosystems.

Economic Factors in Forest Preservation

The relationship between economic development and forest cover is complex, as our top 10 demonstrates:

Alternative Economic Bases: Countries like Gabon and Equatorial Guinea maintain high forest cover partly because oil revenues reduce pressure to convert forests to agriculture for economic development.

Sustainable Forest Economies: Some countries develop forest-based economies (eco-tourism, sustainable timber, non-timber forest products) that provide economic benefits while maintaining forest cover.

International Conservation Financing: REDD+ payments and other international conservation funding can make forest preservation economically competitive with deforestation activities.

Challenges Facing the World's Most Forested Countries

Even countries with exceptional forest cover face significant conservation challenges:

Climate Change Impacts: Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events threaten forest ecosystems even in well-preserved countries.

Economic Development Pressure: Growing populations and development needs create ongoing pressure to convert forests to agriculture, infrastructure, and urban areas.

Illegal Logging: Even countries with strong forest protection laws face challenges from illegal logging operations and weak enforcement in remote areas.

Global Market Demand: International demand for agricultural products, timber, and minerals creates economic incentives for deforestation that can overwhelm local conservation efforts.

Conservation Success Stories and Innovations

Our top 10 countries demonstrate several innovative approaches to forest conservation:

Community-Based Management: Indigenous and local communities often prove most effective at long-term forest conservation, as seen in countries like Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

Payment for Ecosystem Services: Countries like Guyana receive international payments for carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation, creating economic incentives for forest preservation.

Integrated Land Use Planning: Successful countries balance conservation with development through careful planning that maintains forest corridors and protects critical habitat areas.

Lessons for Global Forest Conservation

The experiences of our top 10 most forested countries offer valuable insights for global conservation efforts:

Early Protection is Key: Countries that established strong forest protection before major development pressure began have been most successful at maintaining high forest cover.

Multiple Conservation Strategies: Successful countries use combinations of protected areas, sustainable use zones, community management, and economic incentives rather than relying on single approaches.

International Cooperation: Forest conservation increasingly requires international partnerships for financing, technical assistance, and market development for sustainable forest products.

Address Root Causes: Long-term forest conservation requires addressing poverty, governance issues, and economic development needs that drive deforestation pressure.

The Role of Small Countries in Global Forest Conservation

While small countries dominate our top 10 list, their role in global forest conservation extends far beyond their size:

Biodiversity Hotspots: Many small, highly forested countries contain disproportionately high levels of biodiversity and endemic species that exist nowhere else on Earth.

Climate Regulation: Tropical forests in small countries provide climate regulation services that benefit the entire planet through carbon sequestration and weather pattern influences.

Conservation Innovation: Small countries often pioneer innovative conservation approaches that can be adapted and scaled up in larger countries.

International Inspiration: Countries achieving 90%+ forest cover demonstrate that high levels of forest conservation remain possible in the modern world.

Future Threats and Opportunities

Looking ahead, several trends will shape the future of forest conservation in our top 10 countries:

Climate Change Adaptation: Forest conservation strategies must evolve to help forests adapt to changing climate conditions while maintaining their ecological functions.

Sustainable Development Goals: Countries must balance forest conservation with achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for poverty reduction, education, and economic development.

Technology and Monitoring: Satellite monitoring, AI, and other technologies are improving forest conservation efforts but require investment and capacity building.

Global Supply Chains: International efforts to eliminate deforestation from supply chains may help support forest conservation in high-forest-cover countries.

Conclusion: Small Countries, Global Impact

Our exploration of the world's most forest-covered countries reveals that small nations with unique geographical, cultural, and economic circumstances are playing an outsized role in global forest conservation.

From Suriname's 94.5% coverage to Liberia's 78.5%, these countries demonstrate that exceptional forest preservation remains achievable through committed policies, community engagement, and innovative conservation financing.

While the world continues to lose forests at alarming rates, the success stories in our top 10 provide hope and practical models for forest conservation that balances ecological preservation with human development needs.

Most importantly, these forest champions remind us that every forest matters - whether it's the vast rainforests of South America or the small but biodiverse forests of Pacific islands - in our collective effort to preserve Earth's critical forest ecosystems for future generations.

Data Sources and Methodology

All forest coverage figures in this article are sourced from the World Bank Open Data database, representing the most recent available data for 2022. Forest area data represents the percentage of total land area covered by forests, as defined by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Additional forest conservation analysis comes from:

• World Bank Open Data - Primary source for forest area percentages
• UN Food and Agriculture Organization - Global forest assessment and definitions
• Global Forest Watch - Real-time forest monitoring and deforestation data
• National forest agencies and conservation organizations for country-specific context

Want to explore more environmental data? Try our Pro Quiz modes to test your knowledge of global environmental indicators, or explore our interactive charts to visualize forest and conservation trends. You can also learn about all the indicators we use in our comprehensive data sources guide.