Introduction
This chapter contains statistics on the number and profile of visits to all woodlands from household surveys.
The statistics in this chapter need to be viewed in the context of broader changes in the UK population, with an increasing and ageing population. In recent years, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected visits to the outdoors.
Information on visits to forests and woodlands are derived from multiple sources, these include:
- The Public Opinion of Forestry surveys;
- The People and Nature Survey for England;
- The National Survey for Wales;
- Welsh People and Nature Survey;
- Scotland’s People and Nature Survey; and
- The People in the Outdoors Monitor for Northern Ireland.
Geographical coverage for social statistics varies. Estimates are presented at country level and, where possible, UK or GB totals are included. Most of the statistics presented in this chapter have been previously released, either by Forest Research or by other organisations. Figures for earlier years have not been revised from those previously published. For further details on revisions, data sources and methodology see the Social Section of Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.
The frequency with which the estimates in this chapter are updated varies depending on the data sources used. Whilst some of the information presented is now several years old, it represents the latest available data and has been included to provide a more rounded picture of the social use of forests in the UK.
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:
- There were an estimated 237 million visits to woodlands in Scotland in 2023/24.
- There were an estimated 507 million visits to woodlands in England in 2023/24.
- Around 66% of visits to woodlands in England in 2024/25 were within 2 miles from the starting point of the journey.
- “To get fresh air” and “For physical health and exercise” were important reasons for visiting woodlands in England.
- Walking was the most common activity on visits to woodland in England.
- Over two thirds (70%) of respondents in the UK had visited forests or woodlands in the last few years. Of these, 32% in the UK reported an increase in the number of visits in the last 12 months; no change was reported by 49% and a decrease reported by 17%.
- Around three-fifths (61%) of respondents who had visited forests or woodlands in the UK in the last few years reported an increase in their level of happiness when in forests and woodlands since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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