Which country in South America has the most forest?

Suriname has the most forest in South America: 92% forest (2024). Next come Guyana (87% forest) and Brazil (59% forest).

Which country in South America has the least forest?

Uruguay, with 12% forest (2024).

What is the typical forest area of a country in South America?

The median of the 12 countries in South America is 51% forest: half are above it, half below. The median, not the average, because a few countries at the top would drag an average far above almost everyone.

Where do the figures come from?

The share of the land under forest: natural or planted stands of trees at least five metres tall, whether productive or not. Source: World Bank, 2024. Only independent states are ranked; territories are listed separately. A country’s continent follows Natural Earth; the handful of island states it files under the open ocean are placed by their UN subregion.

Countries in South America by forest area

The share of the land under forest: natural or planted stands of trees at least five metres tall, whether productive or not. 12 countries in South America, highest first. World Bank, 2024

See it on the map

Map: Forest area — South America — 4%**13%24%35%47%59%**No data

Highest

92%

Suriname

Median country

51%

half above, half below

Lowest

12%

Uruguay

Countries in South America by forest area, World Bank, 2024
#	Country	% of land	Region
1	Suriname	92%	South America
2	Guyana	87%	South America
3	Brazil	59%	South America
4	Colombia	54%	South America
5	Venezuela	53%	South America
6	Peru	53%	South America
7	Bolivia	50%	South America
8	Ecuador	50%	South America
9	Paraguay	37%	South America
10	Chile	25%	South America
11	Argentina	17%	South America
12	Uruguay	12%	South America

Questions

Which country in South America has the most forest?: Suriname has the most forest in South America: 92% forest (2024). Next come Guyana (87% forest) and Brazil (59% forest).
Which country in South America has the least forest?: Uruguay, with 12% forest (2024).
What is the typical forest area of a country in South America?: The median of the 12 countries in South America is 51% forest: half are above it, half below. The median, not the average, because a few countries at the top would drag an average far above almost everyone.
Where do the figures come from?: The share of the land under forest: natural or planted stands of trees at least five metres tall, whether productive or not. Source: World Bank, 2024. Only independent states are ranked; territories are listed separately. A country’s continent follows Natural Earth; the handful of island states it files under the open ocean are placed by their UN subregion.

Source: World Bank (CC BY 4.0). Figures more than 5 years older than the newest are left out rather than shown beside current ones. Countries sharing a value share a rank. All sources.