A summary of statistics about woodland and forestry in the UK

## Forestry Facts & Figures 2019 Forest Cover: International Comparisons 2015

Annual changes in forest area: international comparisons
1990–2000
2000–2010
2010–2015
Total land
Forest as 

Region
area
Country
Forest area
(million ha)
% of land area
(million ha)
(000 ha)
(%)
(000 ha)
(%)
(000 ha)
(%)
UK
18
0.6
11
0.3
17
0.5
Europe
United Kingdom
3
24
13
EU-28
681
0.5
450
0.3
369
0.2
Finland
22
30
73
Total Europe
803
0.1
1 127
0.1
382
0.0
France
17
55
31
Africa
-3 537
-0.5
-3 209
-0.5
-2 836
-0.4
Germany
11
35
33
Asia
-221
0.0
2 349
0.4
791
0.1
Italy
9
29
32
North & Central America
-394
-0.1
172
0.0
75
0.0
Spain
18
50
37
Oceania
82
0.0
-564
-0.3
304
0.2
Sweden
28
41
68
South America
-4 000
-0.4
-3 868
-0.4
-2 024
-0.2
Other EU
52
159
32
World
-7 267
-0.2
-3 993
-0.1
-3 308
-0.1
Total EU-28
161
424
38

Source: FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO's Asia region. These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics.

Russian Federation
815
1 638
50
Total Europe
1 015
2 214
46
Africa
624
2 987
21
Asia
593
3 118
19
North & Central America 
751
2 134
35
Oceania
174
850
20
South America
842
1 747
48
World
3 999
13 049
31

Source: FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO's Asia region. These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics.

| 2014   | 6 725   |   465 | 1 283   |   317 | 1 500   |   176 |   437 |
|--------|---------|-------|---------|-------|---------|-------|-------|
| 10     |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
|        |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 903    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2014   | 77      |     0 | 0       |   400 | 60      |       |       |
| 537    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2015   | 6 168   |   435 | 1 334   |   288 | 1 600   |   164 |   276 |
| 10     |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
|        |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 265    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2015   | 76      |     0 | 0       |   400 | 91      |       |       |
| 566    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2016   | 6 511   |   423 | 1 248   |   277 | 1 550   |   178 |   231 |
| 10     |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
|        |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 419    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2016   | 75      |     0 | 0       |   400 | 122     |       |       |
| 597    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2017   | 6 572   |   442 | 1 059   |   295 | 1 600   |   170 |   331 |
| 10     |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
|        |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 468    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2017   | 66      |     0 | 0       |   600 | 71      |       |       |
| 738    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2018   | 6 434   |   486 | 1 210   |   273 | 1 900   |   174 |   264 |
| 10     |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
|        |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 741    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |
| 2018   | 67      |     0 | 1       |   700 | 66      |       |       |
| 834    |         |       |         |       |         |       |       |

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 2019 (thousands of hectares)   | Area of certified woodland 2019 (thousands of hectares)   |
|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| FE/FLS/               | Private                                         | Total woodland                                            |
| Total woodland        |                                                 |                                                           |
| NRW/FS                | sector                                          | area certified                                            |
| England               | 215                                             | 110                                                       |
| 325                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| FE/FLS/NRW/FS         |                                                 |                                                           |
| Wales                 | 117                                             | 29                                                        |
| 146                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| England               | 151                                             | 64                                                        |
| 215                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| Scotland              | 469                                             | 395                                                       |
| 864                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| Wales                 | 98                                              | 19                                                        |
| 117                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| Northern Ireland      | 62                                              | 3                                                         |
| 66                    |                                                 |                                                           |
| Scotland              | 428                                             | 41                                                        |
| 469                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| UK                    | 863                                             | 538                                                       |
| Northern Ireland      | 56                                              | 7                                                         |
| 62                    |                                                 |                                                           |
| UK                    | 732                                             | 131                                                       |
| Private sector        |                                                 |                                                           |
| England               | 189                                             | 904                                                       |
| 1 093                 |                                                 |                                                           |
| Wales                 | 54                                              | 138                                                       |
| 192                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| FE/FLS/NRW/FS         |                                                 |                                                           |
| Scotland              | 645                                             | 343                                                       |
| 988                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| Private sector        |                                                 |                                                           |
| Northern Ireland      | 11                                              | 40                                                        |
| 51                    |                                                 |                                                           |
| 500                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| UK                    | 899                                             | 1 426                                                     |
| 400                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| All woodland          |                                                 |                                                           |
| 300                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| England               | 340                                             | 968                                                       |
| 1 308                 |                                                 |                                                           |
| Wales                 | 152                                             | 158                                                       |
| 309                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| 200                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| Scotland              | 1                                               |                                                           |
|                       |                                                 |                                                           |
| 072                   | 385                                             |                                                           |
| 1 457                 |                                                 |                                                           |
| thousands of hectares |                                                 |                                                           |
| 100                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| Northern Ireland      | 67                                              | 46                                                        |
| 113                   |                                                 |                                                           |
| 0                     |                                                 |                                                           |
| UK                    | 1 631                                           | 1 557                                                     |

Areas as of 31 March, 2019.

## ©Crown Copyright

forestresearch.gov.uk/statistics FRFS019/FR-UK(JW)/BARR-4K/SEP19
Forest Research will consider all requests to make the content of publications available in alternative formats. Please send any such requests to publications@forestresearch.gov.uk Statistician: Sheila Ward. Enquiries relating to this publication should be addressed to: statistics@forestresearch.gov.uk

                                                                                                       •	 
        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

                                                                                                             •	 
   FE/FLS/NRW/FS = Forestry England/Forestry and Land Scotland/
Natural Resources Wales/Forest Service. Private sector = all other 
         woodland, including some other publicly-owned woodland.

              Notes on Forestry Facts & Figures:

     Source: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Department for Environment, Food and Rural 
Affairs (DEFRA), Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Royal Society for the Protection 
     of Birds (RSPB). Based on data in Wild Bird Populations in the UK statistical release (Defra, 
                                                                            November 2018).

National Statistics status means that our statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value, and it is our responsibility to maintain compliance with these standards. Further information is provided in Forestry Statistics 2019. 

Forestry Facts & Figures is an annual summary of forestry statistics compiled by Forest Research on behalf of the forestry authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The full Forestry Statistics 2019 publication, including full details of the sources used and downloadable spreadsheets of data, can be found online at: 

www.forestresearch.gov.uk/statistics

## Wood Removals: International Comparisons 2017 Wood Products: International Comparisons 2017

| Industrial    | Total            |
|---------------|------------------|
| Woodbased     | Paper &          |
| Woodfuel      |                  |
| Sawnwood      |                  |
| Region        |                  |
| roundwood     | roundwood        |
| panels        | paperboard       |
| (million m    |                  |
| 3             |                  |
| )             |                  |
| (million m    |                  |
| 3             |                  |
| )             |                  |
| (million m    |                  |
| 3             |                  |
| )             | (million m       |
| 3             |                  |
| )             |                  |
| (million m    |                  |
| 3             |                  |
| )             | (million tonnes) |
| UK            | 9                |
| Region        |                  |
| EU-28         |                  |
| 362           | 119              |
Total Europe
599
170
769
|                 |     |     | Africa   |   74 |   693 |   767 |
|-----------------|-----|-----|----------|------|-------|-------|
| UK              |   4 |  11 | 3        |    6 |     4 |     9 |
| Asia            | 405 | 725 | 1 130    |      |       |       |
| EU-28           |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| 111             |  95 |  64 | 63       |   93 |    81 |       |
| Total Europe    |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| 165             | 114 |  88 | 81       |  106 |    92 |       |
| North & Central |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| America         |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| 523             | 153 | 676 |          |      |       |       |
| Africa          |  10 |  17 | 3        |    5 |     3 |     8 |
| Oceania         |  70 |  10 | 80       |      |       |       |
| Asia            | 137 | 192 | 243      |  237 |   197 |   206 |
| South America   | 231 | 169 | 400      |      |       |       |
| World           |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| 1               |     |     |          |      |       |       |
|                 |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| 903             |   1 |     |          |      |       |       |
|                 |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| 920             |   3 |     |          |      |       |       |
|                 |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| 823             |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| North & Central |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| America         |     |     |          |      |       |       |
| 133             | 126 |  50 | 60       |   88 |    87 |       |

Source: FAO. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO's Asia region. These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics.

Oceania
10
9
3
3
4
4
South America
30
24
17
13
16
16

## Largest Net Importers And Exporters Of Forest Products 2017

| World   | 486   | 481   | 404   | 398   | 414   | 413   |
|---------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|

Source: FAO. Cyprus is included in EU-28 total but is part of FAO's Asia region. These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics.

| 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                                                            |
| 2013                        | 14                                                               |
| 40                          |                                                                  |
| wood                        |                                                                  |
| Other                       |                                                                  |
| wood                        | paper                                                            |
| panels                      | & other)                                                         |
| 2014                        | 16                                                               |
| 43                          |                                                                  |
| (000 m                      |                                                                  |
| 3                           |                                                                  |
| )                           | (000 t)                                                          |
| 3                           |                                                                  |
| )                           | (000 t)                                                          |
| 2015                        | 17                                                               |
| 43                          |                                                                  |
| 2014                        | 6 425                                                            |
| 2016                        | 17                                                               |
| 44                          |                                                                  |
| 2015                        | 6 323                                                            |
| 5 712                       |                                                                  |
| 2017                        | 16                                                               |
| 43                          |                                                                  |
| 2016                        | 6 794                                                            |
| 5 700                       |                                                                  |

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

| 2017                                 | 7 663                                                                 | 11 569   | 3 800   | 6 798   |   1 044 |   374 |
|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|-------|
| 5 528                                |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 2018                                 | 7 213                                                                 | 13 595   | 3 878   | 6 711   |     925 |   295 |
| 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    |         |         |         |       |
| 2013                                 | 504                                                                   | 518      | 267     | 578     |         |       |
| 1                                    |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 867                                  |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| wood                                 |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| Other                                |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| wood                                 | paper                                                                 | paper    |         |         |         |       |
| panels                               | & other)                                                              | panels   |         |         |         |       |
| 2014                                 | 540                                                                   | 356      | 436     | 596     |         |       |
| 1                                    |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 928                                  |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 2014                                 | 1 420                                                                 | 627      | 936     | 4 196   |      84 |   107 |
| 2015                                 | 658                                                                   | 474      | 323     | 738     |         |       |
| 2                                    |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 193                                  |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 2015                                 | 1 311                                                                 | 868      | 957     | 4 375   |      80 |    75 |
| 2016                                 | 596                                                                   | 413      | 316     | 610     |         |       |
| 1                                    |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 935                                  |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 2016                                 | 1 423                                                                 | 1 000    | 1 010   | 4 003   |      76 |    91 |
| 2017                                 | 701                                                                   | 437      | 363     | 682     |         |       |
| 2                                    |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
|                                      |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 183                                  |                                                                       |          |         |         |         |       |
| 2017                                 | 1 636                                                                 | 1 051    | 1 155   | 4 004   |     102 |   109 |
| 2018   |
|--------|
| 1 597  |

'Other wood' includes roundwood, wood charcoal, chips, particles, residues and wood pellets. 'Pulp & paper' includes paperboard and recovered waste paper. Woodbased panels include veneer sheets. Sawnwood includes sleepers from 2017.

New planting (thousands of hectares)
|                                    |         |         |          | Softwood   | Hardwood   |
|------------------------------------|---------|---------|----------|------------|------------|
| Year                               | England | Wales   | Scotland | N Ireland  | UK         |
| Year                               |         |         |          |            |            |
| FE/FLS/                            | Private | Private |          |            |            |
| (to                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| NRW/FS                             | sector  |         |          |            |            |
| Total                              |         |         |          |            |            |
| FE/FLS/                            |         |         |          |            |            |
| NRW/FS                             | sector  |         |          |            |            |
| Total                              |         |         |          |            |            |
| 31/3)                              |         |         |          |            |            |
|                                    |         |         |          |            |            |
| Total                              |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2015                               | 0.1     | 2.3     | 0.0      | 0.1        | 2.5        |
| 10.3                               |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2014                               |         |         |          |            |            |
| 4 900                              | 6 627   |         |          |            |            |
| 11                                 |         |         |          |            |            |
|                                    |         |         |          |            |            |
| 527                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 71                                 | 466     |         |          |            |            |
| 537                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2016                               | 0.0     | 0.8     | 0.0      | 0.1        | 1.9        |
| 5.6                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2015                               | 4 691   | 5 968   |          |            |            |
| 10                                 |         |         |          |            |            |
|                                    |         |         |          |            |            |
| 659                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 73                                 | 493     |         |          |            |            |
| 566                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2017                               | 0.1     | 1.0     | 0.2      | 0.2        | 3.2        |
| 6.5                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2016                               | 5 011   | 5 734   |          |            |            |
| 10                                 |         |         |          |            |            |
|                                    |         |         |          |            |            |
| 745                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 68                                 | 529     |         |          |            |            |
| 597                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2018                               | 0.2     | 1.3     | 0.1      | 0.1        | 4.7        |
| 9.1                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2017                               | 4 862   | 6 075   |          |            |            |
| 10                                 |         |         |          |            |            |
|                                    |         |         |          |            |            |
| 938                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 83                                 | 655     |         |          |            |            |
| 738                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2019                               | 0.4     | 1.0     | 0.3      | 0.3        | 7.3        |
| 13.4                               |         |         |          |            |            |
| 2018                               | 4 523   | 6 827   |          |            |            |
| 11                                 |         |         |          |            |            |
|                                    |         |         |          |            |            |
| 351                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| 86                                 | 747     |         |          |            |            |
| 834                                |         |         |          |            |            |
| Restocking (thousands of hectares) |         |         |          |            |            |
Year
Sawnwood
Woodbased 
panels
paperboard
Year
(to
(000 m3)
(000 m3)
(000 tonnes)
31/3)
 
 
Total
2015
2.0
4.4
1.3
0.6
6.6
1.9
0.9
0.1
10.8
7.0
17.8
2014
3 764
3 068
4 397
2015
3 497
3 080
3 970
2016
2.2
1.1
1.2
0.6
6.0
1.8
0.7
0.1
10.1
3.6
13.7
2016
3 671
3 033
3 677
2017
2.0
1.0
1.1
0.5
9.1
2.0
1.1
0.2
13.4
3.7
17.1
2017
3 763
3 176
3 858
2018
1.6
0.5
1.0
0.7
8.1
1.5
0.9
0.1
11.6
2.8
14.3
2018
3 715
3 079
3 894
2019
1.3
0.4
0.9
0.5
9.1
2.1
0.7
0.1
12.0
3.1
15.1

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).

## Forestry Facts & Figures 2019

Woodland area The area of woodland in the UK now stands at 3.17 million hectares. This represents 10% of the land area in England, 19% in Scotland, 15% in Wales and 8% in Northern Ireland.

## Changes In Woodland Area In The Uk Over Time

Conifers and broadleaves
The overall proportion of conifers and 
broadleaves is half and half across 
the UK, but these proportions vary in 
each country.

## Wood Production

                                         Wood fuel
                                         Other
Private sector woodlands 
accounted for 60% of 
softwood production in 
2018 (11.4 million green 
tonnes) and 90% of 
hardwood production

(0.7 million green tonnes). 

The carbon stored in forest soils accounts for almost 70% of total forest carbon stock.

## Employment In Forestry & Wood Processing In The Uk

Wal es Germany France Italy Spain

Forest and woodland 
area in the UK has 
increased from a low 
of 5% in 1919 - the year 
the Forestry Commission 
was established - to 13% 
today. The UK's forest 
cover is among the lowest 
of any country in Europe.

## New Planting In The Uk

Forest and woodland certification
44% of forests and woodland in the UK are certified 
by the international sustainability standards FSC 
and PEFC. The majority of certified woodland is in 
public ownership.

UK-grown softwood

and hardwood
Quantities of UK-grown 
roundwood for timber 
processing and 

other uses.

## Imports And Exports The Uk Is The Second Largest Net Importer Of Forest Products In The World.