Previous Year Question

According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017, India's total forest cover was 7,08,273 sq km. The total geographical area of the country is about 32,87,469 sq km.

Thus, forest cover constituted approximately 21.54% of the country's total geographical area. The question asks only about forest cover; it should not be confused with the combined figure for forest and tree cover.

Forest cover includes all land parcels of more than one hectare having a tree canopy density of more than 10% in satellite assessment, irrespective of ownership or legal status.

Current Status (ISFR 2023): According to the latest available India State of Forest Report 2023, India's forest cover is 7,15,343 sq km, representing 21.76% of the country's geographical area. In addition, tree cover accounts for 3.41%, making the combined forest and tree cover 25.17%.