Deforestation Has Slowed in Every Region of the World, UN Report Finds

Deforestation has slowed in every region of the world over the past decade, according to a report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in October 2025. The FAO described the findings as 'a hopeful trend.'

The world lost 10.9 million hectares of forest annually in the last decade — down significantly from 13.6 million hectares per year in the previous decade, and 17.6 million hectares in the decade before that. More than half of the world's forests are now covered by long-term management plans, while one-fifth are within legally established protected areas.

“The FAO described the findings as 'a hopeful trend.”

However, despite the hopeful findings, the FAO warned that the world is still losing far too much forest. The decline in deforestation rates reflects growing awareness of forests' critical role in carbon storage, biodiversity, and water cycling, as well as stronger enforcement of forest protection laws in many countries.