Introduction
This chapter contains information on:
- UK woodland area;
- certified woodland area;
- areas of new planting and restocking;
- felling; and
- canopy cover in England.
Estimates for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are included in addition to UK totals. International comparisons are provided Chapter 9: International Forestry. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.
Figures on woodland area and certified woodland area at 31 March 2025 and on new planting and restocking for the period 2024/25 were previously published in Provisional Woodland Statistics 2025, released on 26 June 2025. For further details on revisions, see the Woodland Areas and Planting section of Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.
Longer time series of woodland area and planting tables (where available) can be accessed in spreadsheet format from our Time Series page.
Figures in tables have been independently rounded, so may not add to the totals shown. Percentage changes quoted in this release are based on unrounded figures.
Key findings
The main findings are:
- The area of woodland in the UK at 31 March 2025 is estimated to be 3.29 million hectares. This represents 14% of the total land area in the UK, 19% in Scotland, 15% in Wales, 10% in England, and 9% in Northern Ireland.
- Of the total UK woodland area, 0.86 million hectares is owned or managed by Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales or the Forest Service (in Northern Ireland).
- The total certified woodland area in the UK at 31 March 2025 is 1.44 million hectares, including all Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Welsh Government Woodland Estate and Forest Service woodland. Overall, 44% of the UK woodland area is certified.
- 15.58 thousand hectares of newly created woodland were reported in the UK in 2024/25.
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