changeadminIn September 2025, during the 29th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organisations, India’s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) compiled and released the publication related to environmental accounts titled “Environmental Accounting on Forest – 2025”.
This is the first dedicated publication on forest accounting compiled to present comprehensive information on forest accounts at both the national and state levels, in accordance with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework.
India’s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) adopted the UN SEEA Framework in 2018, which is an internationally agreed-upon framework for compiling environmental economic accounts.
Forests are one of the country’s most valuable natural assets, providing critical ecosystem services ranging from climate regulation to livelihood support. Understanding these contributions through a structured accounting framework is vital for designing evidence-based policies and ensuring that developmental growth is aligned with our environmental commitments.
The Environmental Accounting on Forest 2025 publication presents a comprehensive overview of decadal changes in India’s forests, facilitating an understanding of long-term trends in forest cover, condition, and resource utilisation.
It highlights gains or losses in forest assets, area, and changes in ecosystem services. It also provides sub-national information in forest accounting for capturing regional variations. Such efforts help strengthen our knowledge base and create opportunities for more informed decision-making in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The publication is compiled in two separate volumes.
Volume I outlines the methodology and national-level data for various forest ecosystem accounts. It covers Physical Asset Accounts (tracks the actual area under different forest cover categories over time), Extent Accounts (organizes information on the extent of varying ecosystem and how that extent changes over time), Condition Accounts (provides insight about the characteristics and quality of ecosystem assets and how they have changed during the accounting period), and Service Accounts- valuation of provisioning (timber and non timber, regulating (carbon retention), and cultural services.
Volume II presents state and Union Territory (UT) level data, highlighting decadal changes in forest assets, extent, condition, and services. Furthermore, based on a literature review, it includes coverage of work carried out in some states and UTs.
Highlights from the Environmental Accounting on Forest – 2025
Physical Asset account
From 2010-11 to 2021-22, India’s forest cover grew by 17,444.61 sq. km (22.50%), reaching 7.15 lakh sq. km (21.76% of geographical area), indicating effective regeneration and conservation efforts. Significant state-wise increases: Kerala (4,137 sq. km), Karnataka (3,122 sq. km), and Tamil Nadu (2,606 sq. km).
Extent Account
Between 2013 and 2023, India’s forest extent increased by 3,356 sq. km, primarily due to reclassification and boundary adjustments. States with notable rise in Recorded Forest Area (RFA) share: Uttarakhand (6.3%), Odisha (1.97%), and Jharkhand (1.9%).
Condition Account
Growing stock, a key indicator in the forest condition account, reflects the volume of usable wood in living trees. Between 2013 and 2023, India’s growing stock rose by 305.53 million cum (7.32%) during 2013-2023.
Most significant contributors: Madhya Pradesh (136 million cum), Chhattisgarh (51 million cum), and Telangana (28 million cum); among UTs, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (77 million cum).
Services Account
Provisioning services
The Forest Service account of India shows that provisioning services (timber and non-timber products) increased from ₹30.72 to ₹37.93 thousand crore between 2011-12 and 2021-22, accounting for about 0.16% of GDP at current prices in 2021-22. Top states: Maharashtra (23.78), Gujarat (14.15), and Kerala (8.55) thousand crore.
Regulating services
The Forest Service account of India reports a 51.82% rise in carbon retention regulating services, from ₹409.1 to ₹620.97 thousand crore, between 2015-16 and 2021-22, emphasising the forests’ vital role in climate change mitigation and national goals. The value in 2021-22 is equivalent to 2.63% of GDP at current prices. Leading contributors: Arunachal Pradesh (296), Uttarakhand (156.6), and Assam (129.96) thousand crore.
The biennial national assessment published in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) serves as one of the primary data sources for the publication mentioned above. The indicators have been developed based on the data available in the different series of the ISFR Publication.
Other sources of data and methodology for the publication include the Report on Forestry Statistics 2021 India by ICFRE, the SEEA-Central framework, the SEEA-Ecosystem Accounting, the NCAVES Report, National Accounts Statistics, and the MoSPI.
The publication will be a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, while also enriching the national dialogue on environmental sustainability and forest conservation.
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