Pie chart — Share of the world's forests and of world timber production, by region

The two pie charts compare how the world's forest area is distributed between five regions with the share of global timber production that each region accounts for.

Overall, there is a striking mismatch between where forests are located and where timber is actually produced. The two regions with the largest forest areas contribute relatively little timber, whereas North America produces disproportionately more than its forest cover would suggest.

South America is home to the greatest share of the world's forests, at 27%, yet it accounts for only 14% of timber production, roughly half of what its forest area implies. The imbalance is even sharper in Africa, which holds a quarter of global forest cover but supplies just 9% of the world's timber, the smallest production share of any region despite ranking second for forest area.

The reverse is true elsewhere. North America has the second smallest forest area, at 16%, but punches above its weight to produce 38% of the world's timber, more than any other region. Europe and Russia show a milder version of the same pattern, with 21% of forests and 32% of production. Only Asia's two shares are roughly matched, at 11% and 7% respectively.