Global forests shrank by over 40 million hectares between 2015 and 2025.
This was driven mainly by agricultural expansion and surging demand for fuelwood and charcoal.
South America and Africa recorded the steepest losses, while restoration pledges lag behind.
Demand for fuelwood (woodfuel and charcoal) is accelerating forest loss across parts of Africa and Asia, even as countries expand restoration and afforestation programmes, according to a new United Nations assessment on the state of the world’s forests.
Calling for forests to remain central to global policy and investment decisions, the Global Forest Goals Report 2026, launched during the 21st session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, warned that the world lost more than 40 million hectares of forests between 2015 and 2025, driven largely by agricultural expansion and rising demand for fuelwood.
The report, prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, assessed progress towards the Global Forest Goals set for 2030. It found that forests worldwide shrank from 4.18 billion hectares in 2015 to 4.14 billion hectares in 2025, representing an annual net loss of 4.12 million hectares. South America recorded the steepest decline, losing 4.1 million hectares annually, while Africa lost nearly 3 million hectares every year.
Agricultural expansion remained the biggest cause of deforestation globally. However, the report identified growing demand for woodfuel, including fuelwood and charcoal, as a major contributor to forest degradation, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia.
“Demand for woodfuel (fuelwood and charcoal) is a major driver of forest loss and degradation,” the report stated, linking the trend to population growth, energy demand and limited access to cleaner alternatives.
The report linked dependence on fuelwood to poverty and inadequate access to clean energy. In many low-income regions, fuelwood remains the primary source of cooking and heating fuel, placing additional stress on nearby forests. Weak governance, insecure land tenure, illegal trade and limited institutional capacity were also identified as barriers to sustainable forest management.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in the report’s foreword, warned that forests are increasingly threatened by “deforestation, rising temperatures, economic uncertainty and geopolitical divisions”.
The assessment concluded that the world remains “off track” in reversing forest loss by 2030 despite ongoing restoration and conservation programmes.
Primary forests, which are crucial for biodiversity conservation and carbon storage, also continued to decline. The world lost 16 million hectares of primary forests during the decade, with South America accounting for the largest share of losses.
The report showed that climate-linked pressures such as droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, pests and diseases are intensifying forest degradation. While countries have introduced wildfire prevention systems, forest monitoring tools and reforestation drives, these actions are not keeping pace with the scale of climate impacts.
Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said stronger global commitment would be necessary to meet forest goals by 2030.
“The findings remind us that achieving the Global Forest Goals by 2030 will require scaled-up ambition, significantly increased finance, stronger institutions and sustained political commitment across all sectors,” he said.
Globally, forests cover 4.14 billion hectares and support biodiversity, food security, livelihoods, water systems and climate regulation. Yet, the report noted, forest ecosystems continue to face growing pressure from land-use change and energy dependence.
According to the report, 91 countries have pledged to restore around 190 million hectares of forests, although only 44 million hectares had been restored by 2025. Asia recorded the highest progress, restoring more than 31 million hectares, or 42.2 per cent of the pledged area.
The report called for stronger cross-sector coordination, increased financing for sustainable forest management and the development of deforestation-free supply chains. It also stressed the need to expand access to cleaner energy alternatives to reduce dependence on fuelwood and charcoal.