Forest facts

​​Total forest area​​

Australia’s total forest area is mapped every five years, most recently for 2021 (published in 2023).

• Australia has 133.6 million hectares of forest mapped in 2021, which is:
  • 17% of Australia's land area
  • about 3% of the world's forest area
  • the seventh largest reported forest area of any country.
• Australia's forests can be divided into three categories:
  • Native forest covering 131.5 million hectares (mapped in 2021)
  • Commercial plantation covering 1.82 million hectares (mapped in 2021)
  • Other forest covering 0.24 million hectares (mapped in 2021).

Australia's National Forest Inventory forest cover dataset, used in Australia’s State of the Forests Report, provides the best available and the most accurate representation of Australia’s forest extent. The best quantitative measure of the actual change over time in Australia’s total forest area is obtained from the annual forest area figures produced for the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the purpose of calculation of net emissions from forest lands, published in annual National Inventory Reports.

Native forest area

• Australia's 131.5 million hectares of native forests are dominated by:
  • Eucalypt forests covering 101 million hectares (77% of the native forest area) and
  • Acacia forests covering 10.9 million hectares (8% of the native forest area).
• The area of Rainforest is 3.4 million hectares (3% of the native forest area).
• The area of Woodland forest (20–50% crown cover) is 93 million hectares (71% of the native forest area).

Commercial plantation area

• Australia's 1.82 million hectares mapped in 2021 as Commercial plantation consist of both softwood species (1.06 million hectares, mostly pines) and hardwood species (0.74 million hectares, mostly eucalypts).​

Forest tenure

• ​A total of 42.6 million hectares of Australia's forest​ is on public land, including nature conservation reserves (22.1 million hectares), multiple-use public forests (10.7 million hectares) and other Crown land (9.8 million hectares).​​
• In addition, 42.8 million hectares of forest are on private land, and 48.0 million hectares of forest are on leasehold land.

For more information, see Indicator 1.1a: Area by forest type and tenure of Australia's State of the Forests Report.

Total area managed for biodiversity conservation

• 48.9 million hectares (37%) of Australia's native forest area (in 2021) is protected for biodiversity conservation or have biodiversity conservation as a specified management intent.
• Protected areas include formal and informal nature conservation reserves, private land under a conservation covenant, and other areas on public land that are managed for protection of biodiversity.

Area where nature conservation is the primary management intent

• 34.6 million hectares (26%)​ of Australia's native forest area (in 2021) is in Australia's National Reserve System through having 'nature conservation' as its primary management intent.

For more information, see Indicator 1.1c: Area of forest in protected area categories in Australia's State of the Forests Report.​

Forest-dwelling native species​

Forest-dwelling native species are those that may use forests for at least part of their lifecycle.

Australia's national list of forest-dwelling species includes:

• 1,788 vertebrate animal species, and
• 13,788 vascular plant species. 

Threatened forest-dwelling species

A total of 1,227 forest-dwelling plant and animal species are listed as threatened species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, comprising;

• 244 vertebrate animal species
• 983 vascular plant species.

During the period of August 2016 to December 2021, the national list of threatened species had:

• 99 forest-dwelling species added, and
• 13 forest-dwelling species removed.

For more information, see Indicator 1.2a: Forest dwelling species for which ecological information is available and Indicator 1.2b: The status of forest dwelling species at risk of not maintaining viable breeding populations, as determined by legislation or scientific assessment in Australia's State of the Forests Report. 

Fire is a major component of the ecology of most Australian forests, particularly eucalypt forests.

​Total area of forest burnt

• 47 million hectares (35% by area) of Australia's forests were burnt by fire one or more times during the period 2016–17 to 2020–21.
• Large areas of forest, especially in northern Australia, were burnt in more than one year of this five-year period.

Cumulative area of fire in forest

• 74 million hectares is the cumulative area of fire in forest during the period 2016–17 to 2020–21.
• The cumulative area of fire in forest is the sum of the forest fire area for each year of the five-year period of 2016–17 to 2020–21.
• Of the cumulative area of fire in forests, 65% were unplanned fires (wildfires).

For more information, see Indicator 3.1b: Area of forest burnt by planned and unplanned fire in Australia's State of the Forests Report.

​Total stock of carbon in Australia's forest

• 19,417 million tonnes of carbon were stored in Australia's forests in 2021, of which:
  • 15,501 million tonnes (80%) were stored in non-production native forests
  • 3,704 million tonnes (19%) were stored in production native forests
  • 186 million tonnes (1%) were stored in plantations.
• Total carbon stocks in Australia's forests increased by 0.05% over the period 2017–21.
  • Of the 19417 million tonnes of carbon stored in Australia's forests in 2021
  • 9,115 million tonnes (47%) were in above-ground biomass
  • 10,303 million tonnes (53%) were in below-ground biomass.

Carbon in harvested wood and wood products

Carbon from forests is also stored in wood products.

• 89 million tonnes of carbon were present in wood and wood products in 2021.
• 79 million tonnes of carbon were present in wood and wood products in 2021.

For more information, see Indicator 5.1a: Contribution of forest ecosystems and forest industries to the global greenhouse gas balance in Australia's State of the Forests Report. 

Commercial plantations

• The area of commercial plantations reported by the National Plantation Inventory in the annual update for 2022-23 was 1.71 million hectares.
• The area of commercial plantations in the National Plantation Inventory increased from 1990 to 2010, but reduced by 308 thousand hectares (15%) between 2010-11 and 2022-23.
• Australia's commercial plantations are mostly located in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

Native forests

• The area of native forest that was available and suitable for commercial wood production in 2020-21 was 27.4 million hectares. Of this area:
  • 4.3 million hectares was in multiple-use public native forests
  • 21.4 million hectares was in leasehold and private forests.
• Australia's native forest timber and wood-based products are mostly sourced from multiple-use public forests in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

For more information, see Indicator 2.1a: Native forest available for wood production, area harvested, and growing stock of merchantable and non-merchantable tree species and Indicator 2.1b: Age class and growing stock of plantations in Australia's State of the Forests Report.

Commercial plantations

• 90% of the total volume of logs harvested in Australia was from commercial plantations in 2022-23. Of this volume:
  • 62% was plantation softwood logs (both sawlogs and pulplogs)
  • 38% was plantation hardwood logs (mostly pulplogs).
• The volume of logs harvested from commercial plantations was unchanged from 2021-22.

Native forests

• 10% of the total volume of logs harvested in Australia was from native forests in 2022-23. Of this volume:
  • 48% was native forest sawlogs
  • 52% was native forest pulplogs.
• The volume of logs harvested from native forests declined by 29% from 2021-22 to 2022-23.
• National sawlog harvest levels from publicly managed native forests were below sustainable yield levels by 23% for the period 2016–17 to 2020–21.
• The total area harvested in multiple-use public native forests in 2020–21 was 64,661 hectares. This was:
  • 1.5% of the net harvestable area of public native forest
  • 0.7% of the total area of multiple-use public native forest, and
  • 0.05% of Australia's total area of native forest.

Total value of wood production

In 2022-23:

• The value of logs harvested from native forests and commercial plantations was $2.4 billion. A small increase from $2.3 billion in 2021-22.
• The value added by the forest and wood products industries was $11.3 billion, representing a contribution to Australia’s gross domestic product of 0.44%. In 2021-22 the value added was $9.7 billion, a contribution of 0.42%.
• The total value of wood product imports was $6.9 billion, while the total value of wood product exports was $2.8 billion. Australia continues to be a net importer of wood and wood products.

For more information, see Indicator 2.1a: Native forest available for wood production, area harvested, and growing stock of merchantable and non-merchantable tree species, Indicator 2.1b: Age class and growing stock of plantations, Indicator 2.1c: Annual removal of wood products compared to the volume determined to be sustainable for native forests and future yields for plantations, Indicator 6.1a: Value and volume of wood and wood products and Indicator 6.1d: Production and consumption and import/export of wood, wood products and non-wood products in Australia's State of the Forests Report.

• Total national direct employment in the forest sector was 51,120 persons in 2021, a 1.7% decrease from 2016.
• In 2021, the forest and wood products industries directly employed 1,478 Indigenous people.​

For more information, see Indicator 6.5a Direct and indirect employment in the forest sector and Indicator 6.5d Resilience of forest dependent Indigenous communities to changing social and economic conditions.​ in Australia's State of the Forests Report.​

• Australia produces a wide range of non-wood forest products derived from forest fauna, flora and fungi, and many non-wood forest products supply commercial domestic and export markets.
• High-value non-wood forest products include wildflowers, seed, honey, and aromatic products derived from tea-tree and sandalwood.
• Beekeeping is one of the largest non-wood forest product industries. Over the period 2011–16:
  • an annual average of 20.8 thousand tonnes of honey was produced, much of which was derived from forested lands
  • the annual volume of honey production declined by 17%
  • the gross annual value of honey production increased by 39%, to $110 million.​

For more information, see Indicator 2.1d of Criterion 2​ and Indicator 6.1b of Criterion 6 in Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018.

• The Indigenous forest estate (the area of forest over which Indigenous people and communities have ownership, management, or right of access and use) was a total of 80 million hectares of forest (60% of Australia’s forests) in 2023, almost all of which is native forest.
• Indigenous heritage sites are widespread across Australia’s forests, with an estimated 126 thousand registered Indigenous heritage sites within forests in 2016.
• In 2021, the forest and wood products industries directly employed 1,478 Indigenous people.

For more information, see Indicator 6.4a: Area of forest to which Indigenous people have use and rights that protect their special values and are recognised through formal and informal management regimes, Indicator 6.5d: Resilience of forest dependent Indigenous communities to changing social and economic conditions, in Australia's State of the Forests Report, and Indicator 6.4c: The extent to which Indigenous values are protected, maintained and enhanced through Indigenous participation in Criterion 6 in Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018.

Recreation and tourism

• Most forests in nature conservation reserves and multiple-use public forests in Australia are available to the general public for recreation or tourism purposes.
• ​An annual average of 4.2 million visitors visited major forested tourism regions for bushwalking in the period 2011–12 to 2015–16.

Non-Indigenous heritage​​

• ​​​In 2016, 11.0 million hectares of forest was on non-Indigenous heritage-listed sites.
• This was an increase of 3.7 million hectares since 2011, mainly due to the registration of new heritage places​.​

For more information, see Indicator 6.3b and Indicator 6.4b of Criterion 6 in Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018.​

• 20.4 million hectares of Australia's forests was certified for forest management under the Responsible Wood Certification Scheme at June 2023.
• 1.2 million hectares of Australia’s forest was certified for forest management under or the Forest Stewardship Council scheme at June 2023.
• 1.06 million hectares is the area of Australia’s native forests and commercial plantations estimated in mid-2023 to be certified for their forest management under both schemes.

For more information, see Indicator 7.1b: Extent to which the institutional framework supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests in Australia's State of the Forests Report.​

• Australia’s public native forests, including those in nature conservation reserves and those available for wood production, are governed and managed under state or territory regulatory frameworks and management plans.
• As at 2021, 37.7 million hectares (28% of Australia’s forests) were covered by management plans relating to their conservation and sustainable management objectives.
• This area includes 25.9 million hectares of forest in the National Reserve System (75% of the area of forest in the National Reserve System).

For more information, see Indicator 7.1a: Extent to which the legal framework supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests in Australia's State of the Forests Report.

• Total expenditure on research and development in the forest and wood products sector declined from $144 million in 2007-08 to $102 million in 2017-18, the latest year of complete data reported by businesses to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The estimated number of full-time equivalent state and territory government personnel engaged in forest-related research declined from 245.5 in 2010-11, to 118.9 in 2020-21.

For more information, see Indicator 6.2b: Investment in research, development, extension and use of new and improved technologies and Indicator 7.1e: Capacity to conduct and apply research and development aimed at improving forest management and delivery of forest goods and services in Australia's State of the Forests Report.
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