World Bank data show that Moldova is on par with Ireland and surpasses only a few European countries with extremely low forest cover, such as the Netherlands, Malta, and Iceland, where forests cover approximately 0.5% of the territory.
This situation highlights the low level of forest resources compared to most European countries, where the percentage of forested land is significantly higher.
At the other end of the spectrum are the Nordic countries. Finland is the most forested country in Europe, with 74% of its territory covered by forests, followed by Sweden with 69% and Montenegro with 62%.
These significant differences are explained by natural factors such as climate, topography, and population density, as well as different approaches to land management.
By comparison, forests cover 30% of Romania’s territory, 49% of Russia’s, and 17% of Ukraine’s.
In 2023, Moldova launched the National Program for Forest Expansion and Restoration in Moldova. This is a 10-year plan costing 15.21 billion lei (about 700 million euros), aimed at planting and restoring 145,000 hectares of forest. Over three years, the initiative has increased the country’s forest cover by 0.4%.
