Australia’s forest policy and management is underpinned by legal, institutional and economic frameworks at the national and the state and territory levels. These frameworks provide for reporting to the community on the state of Australia’s forests. This report provides a summary of Australia’s 44 indicators of sustainable forest management. 

Covering biophysical, conservation, social, cultural and economic values of forests, this synthesis report contains updated figures for 25 indicators alongside 2018 data for the remaining indicators, slated for update in 2025.

The Australia’s State of the Forests Report series commenced in 1998 using the Montreal Process, a framework of criteria and indicators for countries to report progress towards achieving sustainable forest ecosystem management. 

Key findings

• Australia ranks seventh globally in forest area, with 133.6 million hectares of forest, 17% of the nation's land area. 
• Native forests account for 131.5 million hectares.
• Commercial plantations span 1.82 million hectares (1.4% of total forest area).
• The Indigenous forest estate (in which Indigenous peoples hold ownership, management, co-management rights, or customary use rights) covers 79.9 million hectares (60% of total forest area). 
• The Indigenous forest estate has increased by 10.4 million hectares from 2018.
• Australia’s total forest area increased by 0.75 million hectares over the five-year period from 2016 to 2021, maintaining the increase in total forest area observed since 2008.
• A total of 48.9 million hectares (37%) of Australia’s native forest is managed for protection of biodiversity. 
• Of this, 34.6 million hectares (26%) is in the National Reserve System.
• Both primary and secondary clearing of forests have steadily decreased over time. In 2020-21, regrowth from previous clearing surpassed the combined area of cleared and re-cleared forest.
• Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, 46.9 million hectares (35% of total forest area).