Forest cover in Poland can be described as average compared to other European countries. For the whole country, this ratio is about 30%.
For comparison, the largest forest coverage in EU have:
- Finland - 66%
- Sweden - 62%
- Slovenia - 58%
And the lowest forest coverage have:
- Malta - 1.5%
- Netherlands - 9.7%
- Ireland - 11.5%
What is worth noting the area of forests in Poland is systematically growing, according to the data of State Forests organization. Forests in Poland are not evenly located. To show their spatial distribution, I presented forest cover divided into the smallest administrative units in Poland - gmina. In the whole country, as of January 1, 2025, there are 2479 such units.
The highest level of forest cover
The highest forest cover has a Cisna gmina located at the southern edge of Poland in the Bieszczady Mountains. It is the wildest corner of the country with very low population and low level of settlement. The neighboring gmina (Lutowiska) in the south-east corner of the country has a forest cover of 82%, which also places it at the forefront of the most forested units in the country. Other municipalities that I took in the top five are located in the largest forest complexes in Poland:
- Białowieża - Puszcza Białowieża
- Osiecznica - Bory Lubuskie
- Krupski Młyn - Lasy Lubliniec
- Płaska - Augustów Primeval Forest
The regions of Pomerania, West Pomerania, part of the Lubuskie Voivodship and Podgórskie areas are characterized by high forest cover.
The lowest level of forest cover
There are several municipalities in Poland, which are completely devoid of forest areas. I will not mention everyone, I will indicate only two regions in which the most municipalities of deprived of forests occur.
- Żuławy Wiślane - an area in the north of Poland, at the mouth of the Vistula River. It is a flat area, rising just above sea level and slightly raised up the river. In a few places, the area is located under sea level.
Selected municipalities: Suchy Dąb, Gronowo Elbląskie, Malbork.
- Katowice Urban Area - an area with very high industrialization and urbanization. Many cities in this region have a very low forest cover level.
Selected municipalities: Świętochłowice, Czeladź.
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