Archive:Forestry statistics

Data from September 2011, most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.

This article presents statistics on forestry and logging in the European Union (EU). The EU-27 has approximately 178 million hectares of forests and other wooded land, corresponding to 42 % of its land area, and forest cover is gradually increasing: over the past 20 years the forest area has increased by 5 % – approximately 0.3 % per year - although the rate varies substantially between Member States.

Main statistical findings

Figure 1: Annual production of roundwood, EU-27, 1995-2010 (1)
(1 000 m³) - Source: Eurostat (for_remov)

Table 1: Wood production, 1995-2010
(1 000 m³) - Source: Eurostat (for_remov) and (for_swpan)

Figure 2: Roundwood production and gross value added of forestry and logging, 2008 and 2009 (1) - Source: Eurostat (for_remov) and (for_ieeaf_cp)

Figure 3: Volume of work per area of forest available for wood supply, 2008 (1)
(annual work units per 1 000 hectares) - Source: Eurostat (for_awu) and (for_area), FAO Forest Resources Assessment 2005

From 1995 to 2007, there was a relatively steady rise in the level of roundwood production in the EU-27, both for coniferous (softwood) and non-coniferous (broadleaved or hardwood) species – see Figure 1. However, the effects of the financial and economic crisis led to the level of coniferous production falling in 2008 and this was confirmed with a further reduction in 2009, when non-coniferous production also fell. Nevertheless, the overall level of roundwood production in the EU-27 in 2009 remained 25.3 million m³ higher than in 1995.

In 2010 roundwood production increased for both categories of tree species: the larger category of coniferous species recorded an increase of 13.0 % compared with 2009, while there was production growth of 8.2 % for non-coniferous species. Overall production increased by 44.1 million m³ in 2010, bringing the level of production back to 428.5 million m³, around 6.5 % below its peak level from 2007. Among the Member States, Sweden produced the most roundwood (70.2 million m³) in 2010, followed by Germany, France and Finland (each producing between 50 million and 57 million m³) – see Table 1.Some of the peaks (most recently 2000, 2005 and 2007) in roundwood production are due to forestry and logging having to cope with unplanned numbers of trees that were felled by severe storms. The 415.1 million m³ of roundwood produced in the EU-27 in 2008 was almost 10 % less than the relative peak recorded in 2007. This latest peak was due to exceptional windthrows by storms in many parts of Europe – notably in Germany and Sweden – after which many more trees had to be removed from forests than planned.

Approximately one quarter of roundwood production is used as wood for fuel and three quarters is industrial roundwood that is used either for sawnwood and veneers, or for pulp and paper production.

Some 100.4 million m³ of sawnwood were produced in the EU-27 in 2010, two fifths (39.3 %) of which came from the two largest producing Member States, namely, Germany (22.3 %) and Sweden (17.0 %); Austria, Finland and France each accounted for around 9 % of the EU-27 total. The level of sawnwood production in the EU-27 in 2010 was 10.3 % higher than in 2009.

There is a strong link between the volume of roundwood produced and the value added generated by forestry and logging – see Figure 2. There is also a link between the labour input (in terms of the number of annual work units (AWU)) and value added. However, it is worth noting that the number of AWU per area of exploited forest varies significantly between countries, ranging from more than ten AWU per 1 000 hectares in the Czech Republic to only around one AWU per 1 000 hectares in Finland (and also Norway) – see Figure 3. Forestry and logging work in mountainous areas generally requires a higher labour input than on large tracts of flat land.

Data sources and availability

Eurostat, the Timber Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Forestry Section of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) collect and collate statistics on the production and trade of wood through their Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire. Each partner collects data from a different part of the world. Eurostat is responsible for data from the EU Member States and EFTA countries.

Roundwood production is a synonym for removals; it comprises all quantities of wood removed from forests and other wooded land or other felling sites during a given period; it is reported in cubic metres (m³) underbark (in other words, excluding bark). Sawnwood production is wood that has been produced either by sawing lengthways or by a profile-chipping process and that exceeds 6 mm in thickness; it includes for example planks, beams, joists, boards, rafters, scantlings, laths, boxboards and lumber, in the following forms – unplaned, planed, and end-jointed; it is reported in cubic metres of solid volume.

Economic and employment data for forestry and logging are collected with a separate questionnaire that was developed in collaboration with Eurostat’s national accountants; these statistics are part of integrated environmental and economic accounting for forests.

Context

Contrary to what is happening in many other parts of the world, the area covered by forests and other wooded land in the EU-27 is slowly increasing. The area covered by forests and other wooded land increased, on average, by 0.3 % per annum over the period 1990 to 2010, although the rates of change in individual EU Member States varied substantially. The EU-27's forests and other wooded land cover approximately the same proportion of land area as that used for agriculture.

Ecologically, the forests of the EU belong to many different biogeographical regions and have adapted to a variety of natural conditions, ranging from bogs to steppes and from lowland to alpine forests. Socioeconomically, they vary from small family holdings to state forests or to large estates owned by companies, many as part of industrial wood supply chains; about 60 % of the EU-27’s wooded land is privately owned.

The EU’s forestry strategy dates from 1998 and established a framework for forest-related actions in support of sustainable forest management. A report on its implementation was prepared in 2005 which led to the European Commission presenting an EU forest action plan (COM(2006) 302) in 2006 which underpins support for sustainable forest management and the multi-functional role of forests. The plan is a framework for forest-related measures and is used to coordinate EU initiatives with the forest policies of the Member States. There are 18 key actions proposed – to be implemented jointly with the Member States. The plan focuses on four main objectives:

improving long-term competitiveness;
improving and protecting the environment;
contributing to the quality of life;
fostering coordination and communication.

In April 2011 the first steps were taken to organise a review of the forestry strategy. The current review may lead to the establishment of targets and indicators to measure progress. Equally, the common agricultural policy (CAP) is due to be reformed by 2013; this review may also have consequences for forestry policy in terms of changes to rural development policy.

Further Eurostat information

Publications

Forestry in the EU and the world (Statistical books)
Forestry Statistics – 2009 edition (Pocketbook)

Main tables

Forestry (t_for), see:

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Forestry (t_for)

Gross value added of the forestry industry, at basic prices (tag00058)

Total roundwood production (tag00072)

Total sawnwood production (tag00073)

Total paper and paperboard production (tag00074)

Forest increment and fellings (tsdnr520)

Forest trees damaged by defoliation (tsdnr530)

Database

Forestry (for), see:

Removals, production and trade (for_rpt)

Roundwood removals and production (for_rptr)

Roundwood production and trade (for_rptt)

Production and trade in primary products (for_rptp)

Trade in secondary processed products (for_rpts)

Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting for Forests (for_ieeaf)

Economic accounts for forestry (Series end in 2005) (for_eaf)

Sustainable forest management (for_sfm)

Assets (for_sfmas)

Environmental aspects (for_sfmen)

Dedicated section

Forestry

Methodology/Metadata

Forestry [ESMS metadata file - for_esms]

Other information

Source data for tables and figures (MS Excel)

Forestry statistics: tables and figures