## Forestry.Gov.Uk/Statistics

A summary of statistics about woodland and forestry in the UK

## Forestry Facts & Figures 2016 Forest Cover: International Comparisons 2015 Forest Area Changes: International Comparisons (Annual Change)

| 2000–2010                                                                           | 2010–2015      |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
| Total land                                                                          |                |
| Forest as                                                                           |                |
| Region                                                                              |                |
| area                                                                                |                |
| Country                                                                             |                |
| Forest area                                                                         |                |
| (million ha)                                                                        | % of land area |
| (million ha)                                                                        |                |
| (000 ha)                                                                            | (%)            |
| UK                                                                                  | 11             |
| United Kingdom                                                                      |                |
| 3                                                                                   | 24             |
| EU-28                                                                               |                |
| 450                                                                                 | 0.3            |
| Finland                                                                             | 22             |
| Total Europe                                                                        |                |
| 1 127                                                                               | 0.1            |
| France                                                                              | 17             |
| Africa                                                                              | -3 209         |
| Germany                                                                             | 11             |
| Asia                                                                                | 2 349          |
| Italy                                                                               | 9              |
| Spain                                                                               | 18             |
| North & Central                                                                     |                |
| America                                                                             |                |
| 172                                                                                 | 0.0            |
| Sweden                                                                              | 28             |
| Oceania                                                                             |                |
| -564                                                                                | -0.3           |
| Other EU                                                                            |                |
| 52                                                                                  | 159            |
| South America                                                                       | -3 868         |
| Total EU-28                                                                         |                |
| 161                                                                                 | 424            |
| World                                                                               |                |
| -3 993                                                                              | -0.1           |
| Russian Federation                                                                  | 815            |
| Source: FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015. These figures are not National |                |
| Statistics. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO's Asia region.     |                |
| Total Europe                                                                        |                |
| 1 015                                                                               | 2 214          |
| Africa                                                                              |                |
| 624                                                                                 | 2 987          |
| Asia                                                                                |                |
| 593                                                                                 | 3 118          |
| North & Central                                                                     |                |
| America                                                                             |                |
| 751                                                                                 | 2 134          |
| Oceania                                                                             | 174            |
| South America                                                                       | 842            |
| World                                                                               | 3 999          |

Source: FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015. These figures are not National Statistics. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO's Asia region.

## Softwood Deliveries (Thousands Of Green Tonnes)

Year
Sawmills
Pulpmills
Woodbased
panels
Fencing
Woodfuel
Other
Roundwood
exports
Total
Year
Sawmills
Pulpmills
Woodbased
panels
Woodfuel
Other
Total
2011
5 859
453
1 417
363
900
145
585
9 722
2011
81
0
1
400
59
541
2012
6 073
461
1 269
338
1 000
154
535
9 831
2012
75
0
2
400
55
532
2013
6 407
465
1 263
332
1 250
191
640
10 547
2013
74
0
0
400
55
529
2014
6 725
465
1 283
317
1 500
188
437
10 915
2014
77
0
0
400
55
532
2015
6 166
435
1 334
298
1 600
164
276
10 273
2015
73
0
0
400
55
528

Figures are based on processing industries' purchases of softwood grown in the UK and estimates for woodfuel. Woodfuel reported here is derived from stemwood and includes estimated roundwood use for biomass energy. Other includes shavings and poles.

Figures are based on processing industries' purchases of hardwood grown in the UK and 
estimates for woodfuel and other uses. Woodfuel reported here is derived from stemwood 
and includes estimated roundwood use for biomass energy. Other includes round fencing 
and roundwood exports.

| Area of woodland 2016 (thousands of hectares)   | Area of certified woodland 2016 (thousands of hectares)   |
|-------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| Total woodland                                  |                                                           |
| FC/NRW/FS                                       |                                                           |
| Private                                         |                                                           |
| Total woodland                                  |                                                           |
| sector                                          | area certified                                            |
| England                                         | 215                                                       |
| 337                                             |                                                           |
| FC/NRW/FS                                       |                                                           |
| Wales                                           | 117                                                       |
| 141                                             |                                                           |
| England                                         | 151                                                       |
| 215                                             |                                                           |
| Scotland                                        | 471                                                       |
| 807                                             |                                                           |
| Wales                                           | 98                                                        |
| 117                                             |                                                           |
| Northern Ireland                                | 62                                                        |
| 65                                              |                                                           |
| Scotland                                        | 431                                                       |
| 471                                             |                                                           |
| UK                                              | 864                                                       |
| 1                                               |                                                           |
|                                                 |                                                           |
| 350                                             |                                                           |
| Northern Ireland                                | 56                                                        |
| 62                                              |                                                           |
| UK                                              | 735                                                       |

All certified woodland in 2016 is under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) scheme. Some woodland is also certified under the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Scheme.

Private sector
England
189
903
1 091
Wales
53
136
189
Private sector
FC/NRW/FS
Scotland
628
337
965
Northern Ireland
11
39
50
500
UK
880
1 416
2 296
400
All woodland
300
England
340
966
1 306
Wales
150
156
306
200
Scotland
1 059
377
1 436

## © Crown Copyright

The Forestry Commission will consider all requests to make the content of publications available in alternative formats. Please send any such requests to the Diversity Team at diversity@forestry.gsi.gov.uk or call 
0300 067 5046.

Statistician: Sheila Ward. Enquiries relating to this publication should be addressed to: statistics@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

## Fcfs216/Fc-Gb(Jw)/Mlg-4K/Sep16

- 
One green tonne is equivalent to approximately 0.98 m3 underbark softwood or 0.88 m3 underbark hardwood, and to approximately 1.22 m3 
overbark standing softwood or 1.11 m3 overbark standing hardwood.

- 
Figures in the tables are individually rounded, so the constituent items may not sum to the total given.

 = Conifers 
 = Broadleaves

- 
Forest Service. Private sector = all other woodland, including some other publicly-owned woodland. 

Notes on Forestry Facts & Figures:
This booklet includes data provided by Natural Resources Wales 

(www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk) and by the Northern Ireland Forest Service (www.daera-ni.gov.uk/topics/forestry)
The UK Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. For more information visit: www.statistics.gov.uk Forestry Facts & Figures is an annual summary of Forestry Statistics compiled by the Forestry Commission. The full 2016 publication, including full details of the sources used and downloadable spreadsheets of data, can be found online at: www.forestry.gov.uk/statistics

## Wood Removals: International Comparisons 2014 Wood Products: International Comparisons 2014

Woodfuel

Region
roundwood

roundwood

panels

paperboard

(million m3)
(million m3)
(million m3)
(million m3)
(million m3)
(million tonnes)
UK
9
2
11
Region
EU-28
347
101
448
Total Europe
572
150
722
|                 |       |       |   Africa |   72 |   657 |   728 |
|-----------------|-------|-------|----------|------|-------|-------|
| UK              | 4     | 10    |        3 |    6 |     4 |     9 |
| Asia            | 382   | 737   |        1 |      |       |       |
|                 |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| 119             |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| EU-28           |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| 104             | 84    | 59    |       55 |   92 |    74 |       |
| Total Europe    |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| 147             | 106   | 78    |       75 |  105 |    92 |       |
| North & Central |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| America         |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| 517             | 133   | 649   |          |      |       |       |
| Africa          | 10    | 17    |        3 |    5 |     4 |     8 |
| Oceania         | 64    | 11    |       74 |      |       |       |
| Asia            | 120   | 166   |      237 |  231 |   184 |   190 |
| South America   | 231   | 177   |      408 |      |       |       |
| World           |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| 1 837           | 1 864 | 3 700 |          |      |       |       |
| North & Central |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| America         |       |       |          |      |       |       |
| 122             | 112   | 48    |       52 |   89 |    86 |       |

Source: FAO These figures are not National Statistics. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO's Asia region.

Oceania
9
8
4
3
4
4
South America
31
26
18
15
15
17
| World   | 439   | 435   | 388   | 383   | 400   | 398   |
|---------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|

Source: FAO. These figures are not National Statistics. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO's Asia region.

| Import and export volumes   | Employment in forestry and primary wood processing (thousands)   |
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Imports                     | Exports                                                          |
| Year                        | Forestry                                                         |
| Saw-                        |                                                                  |
| milling                     |                                                                  |
| Panels                      |                                                                  |
| Pulp &                      |                                                                  |
| paper                       |                                                                  |
| Total                       |                                                                  |
| Wood-                       | Wood                                                             |
| Sawn-                       | Pulp &                                                           |
| Year                        |                                                                  |
| based                       | (sawn                                                            |
| 2010                        | 14                                                               |
| 41                          |                                                                  |
| wood                        |                                                                  |
| Other                       |                                                                  |
| wood                        | paper                                                            |
| panels                      | & other)                                                         |
| 2011                        | 14                                                               |
| 39                          |                                                                  |
| (000 m                      |                                                                  |
| 3                           |                                                                  |
| )                           | (000 t)                                                          |
| 3                           |                                                                  |
| )                           | (000 t)                                                          |
| 2012                        | 15                                                               |
| 41                          |                                                                  |
| 2011                        | 4 936                                                            |
| 2013                        | 14                                                               |
| 40                          |                                                                  |
| 2012                        | 5 179                                                            |
| 5 585                       |                                                                  |
| 2014                        | 16                                                               |
| 43                          |                                                                  |
| 2013                        | 5 488                                                            |
| 5 390                       |                                                                  |

Excludes secondary wood processing and other wood-using industries. Source: Annual Business Survey (Office for National Statistics).

| 2014                                 | 6 425                                                                 | 8 391   | 3 260   | 7 319   | 1 304   |   404 |
|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|---------|---------|---------|-------|
| 5 472                                |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 2015                                 | 6 323                                                                 | 11 162  | 3 217   | 7 384   | 1 316   |   286 |
| Import and export values (£ million) | Gross value added in forestry and primary wood processing (£ million) |         |         |         |         |       |
| Imports                              | Exports                                                               |         |         |         |         |       |
| Year                                 | Forestry                                                              |         |         |         |         |       |
| Saw-                                 |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| milling                              |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| Panels                               |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| Pulp &                               |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| paper                                |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| Total                                |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| Year                                 |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| Wood-                                | Wood                                                                  | Wood-   |         |         |         |       |
| Sawn-                                | Pulp &                                                                | Pulp &  |         |         |         |       |
| based                                | (sawn                                                                 | based   |         |         |         |       |
| 2010                                 | 329                                                                   | 415     | 327     | 628     |         |       |
| 1                                    |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 699                                  |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| wood                                 |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| Other                                |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| wood                                 | paper                                                                 | paper   |         |         |         |       |
| panels                               | & other)                                                              | panels  |         |         |         |       |
| 2011                                 | 416                                                                   | 435     | 197     | 888     |         |       |
| 1                                    |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 936                                  |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 2011                                 | 1 080                                                                 | 208     | 838     | 4 696   | 95      |   128 |
| 2012                                 | 307                                                                   | 586     | 226     | 776     |         |       |
| 1                                    |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 895                                  |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 2012                                 | 1 084                                                                 | 260     | 791     | 4 266   | 89      |   130 |
| 2013                                 | 504                                                                   | 518     | 267     | 578     |         |       |
| 1                                    |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 867                                  |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 2013                                 | 1 180                                                                 | 499     | 882     | 4 165   | 89      |   109 |
| 2014                                 | 582                                                                   | 355     | 437     | 596     |         |       |
| 1                                    |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 970                                  |                                                                       |         |         |         |         |       |
| 2014                                 | 1 420                                                                 | 627     | 936     | 4 196   | 85      |   107 |
| 2015   |
|--------|
| 1 441  |

'Other wood' includes roundwood, wood charcoal, chips, particles, residues and wood pellets. 'Pulp & paper' includes paperboard and recovered waste paper.

| New planting (thousands of hectares)   | Wood production (thousands of green tonnes)   |
|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| Softwood                               | Hardwood                                      |
| Year                                   | England                                       |
| Year                                   |                                               |
| FC/NRW                                 | Private                                       |
| (to                                    |                                               |
| /FS                                    | sector                                        |
| Total                                  |                                               |
| FC/NRW                                 |                                               |
| /FS                                    | sector                                        |
| Total                                  |                                               |
| 31/3)                                  |                                               |
|                                        |                                               |
| Total                                  |                                               |
| 2012                                   | 0.0                                           |
| 12.8                                   |                                               |
| 2011                                   |                                               |
| 4 870                                  | 5 186                                         |
| 10 056                                 |                                               |
| 75                                     | 465                                           |
| 541                                    |                                               |
| 2013                                   | 0.0                                           |
| 10.8                                   |                                               |
| 2012                                   | 4 836                                         |
| 10 095                                 |                                               |
| 55                                     | 478                                           |
| 532                                    |                                               |
| 2014                                   | 0.0                                           |
| 12.9                                   |                                               |
| 2013                                   | 5 084                                         |
| 10 936                                 |                                               |
| 78                                     | 451                                           |
| 529                                    |                                               |
| 2015                                   | 0.1                                           |
| 10.3                                   |                                               |
| 2014                                   | 4 900                                         |
| 11 431                                 |                                               |
| 71                                     | 461                                           |
| 532                                    |                                               |
| 2016                                   | 0.0                                           |
| 5.5                                    |                                               |
| 2015                                   | 4 746                                         |
| 10                                     |                                               |
|                                        |                                               |
| 774                                    |                                               |
| 74                                     | 454                                           |
| 528                                    |                                               |
| Restocking (thousands of hectares)     | Production of wood products                   |
| Year                                   | England                                       |
| Paper &                                |                                               |
| Sawnwood                               |                                               |
| Woodbased                              |                                               |
| panels                                 | paperboard                                    |
| Year                                   |                                               |
| (to                                    |                                               |
| (000 m                                 |                                               |
| 3                                      |                                               |
| )                                      | (000 m                                        |
| 3                                      |                                               |
| )                                      | (000 tonnes)                                  |
| 31/3)                                  |                                               |
|                                        |                                               |
| Total                                  |                                               |
| 2011                                   | 3 279                                         |
| 12.3                                   |                                               |
| 2012                                   | 3 409                                         |
| 13.1                                   |                                               |
| 2013                                   | 3 581                                         |
| 15.8                                   |                                               |
2.0
4.4
1.3
0.6
6.6
1.9
0.8
0.0
10.7
6.9
17.6
2.2
1.1
1.2
0.6
6.0
1.8
0.7
0.0
10.0
3.6
13.6

Total production from UK mills, including products using imported material. Excludes other wood products (e.g. fuelwood and round fencing), roundwood and intermediate products (e.g. sawmill products, pulp and recovered paper).

## Distribution Of Woodland In The Uk

Woodland cover in the UK is now around 3 million hectares, equivalent to 13% of the total land area. 

The public forest estate makes up almost 30% of total forest area. This map shows the distribution of woodland over 2 hectares in the UK. 

The information on woodland area presented here uses data from the GB National Forest Inventory, adjusted for new planting, and data supplied by Forest Service in Northern Ireland.

Find out more about the National Forest Inventory at:  www.forestry.gov.uk/inventory

## Uk Imports And Exports

wrme =  wood raw material equivalent