Chapter 1a – Woodland Area and Planting

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. Woodland area and growing stock by species and age class, derived from the National Forest Inventory, are provided in Chapter 1b. International comparisons are provided in 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 2026 and on new planting and restocking for the period 2025/26 were previously published in Provisional Woodland Statistics 2026, released on 25 June 2026. 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 2026 is estimated to be 3.30 million hectares. This represents 14% of the total land area in the UK, 20% in Scotland, 15% in Wales, 10% in England, and 9% in Northern Ireland.
• Of the total UK woodland area, 861 thousand hectares is owned or managed by Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales or the Northern Ireland Forest Service.
• The total certified woodland area in the UK at 31 March 2026 is 1.42 million hectares, including all Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Welsh Government Woodland Estate and Forest Service woodland. Overall, 43% of the UK woodland area is certified.
• 46 thousand hectares of newly created woodland were reported in the UK in 2025/26.
• 21 thousand hectares of publicly funded restocking were reported in the UK in 2025/26.

Downloads

Chapter 1a: Woodland Area and Planting – Statistical Notice [PDF, 600 KB]

Chapter 1a: Woodland Area and Planting – Dataset [ODS, 122 KB]

Chapter 1b – Woodland Composition and Growing Stock

Introduction

This chapter contains information from the National Forest Inventory (NFI) on:

• Stocked woodland area by age class, for conifers and broadleaves;
• Stocked woodland area by principal species, for conifers and broadleaves; and
• Growing stock by principal species, for conifers and broadleaves.

Estimates relate to Great Britain, with breakdowns for England, Wales and Scotland. Figures on woodland area, certified woodland area, new planting, restocking, felling and canopy cover are provided in Chapter 1a: Woodland Area & Planting. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

The figures presented in this chapter are NFI estimates and are outside the scope of Accredited Official Statistics. Public sector conifer estimates relate to 31 March 2025 and private sector conifer estimates to 31 March 2021. Broadleaf estimates relate to 31 March 2012; the reference dates differ because the underlying softwood and hardwood availability forecasts were produced at different times.

Stocked areas presented here differ from the woodland areas in Chapter 1a, as they exclude felled areas and (for private sector land) areas of integral open space.

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:

• Of the total coniferous woodland area in Great Britain, 58% was occupied by stands of 40 years old or younger. A further 14% of stands were aged over 60 years.
• Around one-half (53%) of the broadleaved area was occupied by stands of 40 years old or younger. More than one-quarter (28%) of stands were aged over 60 years.
• Sitka spruce accounts for around one-half (54%) of the conifer area in Great Britain, followed by Scots pine (17%) and larches (8%). Sitka spruce is less dominant in England, accounting for over one-quarter (28%) of the conifer area there.
• The most commonly occurring broadleaved species in Great Britain are birch (accounting for 18% of broadleaf woodland), oak (16%) and ash (12%). Birch is more dominant in Scotland, accounting for 43% of the broadleaf area there.
• Sitka spruce accounted for over one-half (56%) of the conifer growing stock, followed by Scots pine (14%) and larches (9%). This largely reflects the distribution of species by area.

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Chapter 1b: Woodland Composition and Growing Stock – Statistical Notice [PDF, 411 KB]

Chapter 1b: Woodland Composition and Growing Stock – Dataset [ODS, 105 KB]

Chapter 2 – UK-Grown Timber

Introduction

This chapter covers the production of timber from woodland and the primary processing of harvested wood to give basic wood products.

Estimates for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are included, in addition to UK totals, where possible.

International comparisons of timber production are available in the International Forestry chapter. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Figures for 2025 were previously published in UK Wood Production and Trade: provisional figures, released on 28 May 2026. Some figures may have been revised from those previously published. For further details on revisions, see the Timber section of Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

A copy of all UK-grown timber tables can be accessed in spreadsheet format from the Time Series page.

Please refer to Glossary – Forest Research for a glossary of terms used in this release.

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 for 2025 are (with percentage changes from 2024):

Removals[1] (harvesting) of UK roundwood:

• 9 million green tonnes of softwood (0%);
• 9 million green tonnes of hardwood (8%);

Deliveries of UK roundwood to wood processors and others:

• 4 million green tonnes of roundwood (softwood and hardwood), (0%), of which:
  • Sawmills: 5.4 million green tonnes (-1%);
  • Wood-based panels: 1.4 million green tonnes (9%);
  • Integrated pulp and paper mills: 0.3 million green tonnes (-4%);
  • Woodfuel: 2.4 million green tonnes (0%);
  • Other uses, including round fencing, shavings and exports of roundwood: 0.8 million green tonnes (-2%);

Production of wood products in the UK included:

• 3 million cubic metres of sawnwood (3%);
• 1 million cubic metres of wood-based panels (6%);
• 2 million cubic metres of paper and paperboard (-3%).

[1] The difference between total removals and deliveries reported here (around 0.4 million green tonnes in 2025) is likely to reflect a number of factors, including changes in stock levels and the different data sources and methodologies used.

Downloads

Chapter 2: UK-Grown Timber – Statistical Notice [PDF, 728 KB]

Chapter 2: UK-Grown Timber – Dataset [ODS, 132 KB]

Chapter 3 – Trade

Introduction

This chapter contains information about UK imports and exports of wood products, and about the level of apparent consumption estimated from data for UK production, imports, and exports.

Most information on imports and exports come from the Overseas Trade Statistics compiled by HM Revenue & Customs. Estimates are provided at a UK level only. International comparisons of apparent consumption are provided in 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 for 2025 were previously published in UK Wood Production and Trade: provisional figures, released on 22 May 2025. Some figures for 2025 and earlier years have been revised from those previously published. For further details on revisions, see the Trade section of Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Please refer to Glossary – Forest Research for a glossary of terms used in this release.

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:

UK imports:

• 2 million cubic metres of sawnwood in 2025, no change from 2024;
• 4 million cubic metres of wood-based panels in 2025, a 7% increase from 2024;
• 8 million tonnes of wood pellets in 2025, a 5% increase from 2024;
• 0 million tonnes of pulp and paper in 2025, a 1% decrease from 2024.
• The total value of wood product imports in 2025 was £9.1 billion, representing a 1% decrease from 2024; of which £3.9 billion was pulp and paper.
• Sawn softwood, sawn hardwood, particleboard, fibreboard, and paper and paperboard were mainly imported from EU countries in 2025.
• The vast majority of UK imports of plywood and wood pellets came from countries outside the EU in 2025.
• Apparent consumption of wood in the UK was 49.1 million cubic metres Wood Raw Material Equivalent underbark in 2025, representing a 2% increase from the previous year.

UK exports:

• The total value of wood product exports in 2025 was £1.7 billion, a 4% decrease from 2024; of which £1.4 billion was pulp and paper.

Downloads

Chapter 3: Trade – Statistical Notice [PDF, 406 KB]

Chapter 3: Trade – Dataset [110 KB]

Chapter 4 – Carbon

Introduction

This chapter contains information on:

• carbon in forests
• carbon sequestration
• the Woodland Carbon Code
• public attitudes to forestry and climate change.

Estimates for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are included, where possible, in addition to UK totals. International comparisons of carbon stocks are provided in Chapter 9: International Forestry.

The statistics presented in this chapter have been previously released. A copy of all carbon tables can be accessed in spreadsheet format from the publication page. Time series for woodland carbon code projects, projected carbon sequestration and area can be accessed in spreadsheet format from the Time Series page

Figures in tables have been independently rounded, so may not add to the totals shown. The figures in this chapter are outside the scope of Accredited Official Statistics. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

In addition to the statistics presented here, information on UK forests and climate change is available from Combating Climate Change: a role for UK forests (The Read Report), an independent assessment of the science published in November 2009.

Key findings

The main findings are:

• The total carbon stock in UK forests is estimated to have increased, from around 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 1990 to 4.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025, of which 2.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent are in soils, 0.9 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent are in living woody biomass and the remainder is in deadwood and litter.
• Almost one-half (46%) of the estimated total UK forest carbon stock in 2025 is in Scotland (1.9 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), 41% is in England (1.7 billion tonnes), 10% is in Wales (0.4 billion tonnes), and 4% is in Northern Ireland (0.1 billion tonnes).
• The net annual rate of carbon dioxide accumulation by UK forests is projected to show an overall fall from around 16.5 million tonnes CO2 in 2025 to around 10.1 million tonnes CO2 by 2050. This is in part due to the uneven age distribution of UK forests today.
• A total of 907 projects had been validated to the Woodland Carbon Code in the UK at 31 March 2026, covering 45.5 thousand hectares and projected to sequester 15.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over their lifetime.
• There are 12.8 million tonnes (82%) of projected carbon dioxide sequestration by validated Woodland Carbon Code projects in Scotland, 2.1 million tonnes in England, 0.7 million tonnes in Wales, and 0.1 million tonnes in Northern Ireland.

Downloads

Chapter 4: Carbon – Statistical Notice [PDF, 321 KB]

Chapter 4: Carbon – Dataset [ODS, 106 KB]

Chapter 5 – Environment

Introduction

This chapter presents a range of information about the woodland environment, mostly using sources that are outside the scope of Accredited Official Statistics. They are included to provide additional context to the topic.

Estimates for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are included, where possible, in addition to GB or UK totals. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

All of the statistics presented in this chapter have been previously released.

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:

• In 2013, the total area of native woodland in Great Britain is estimated to be around 1.51 million hectares (49% of all woodland in Great Britain).
• In 2013, Non-native coniferous woodland is the single largest habitat type in Great Britain, accounting for 1.29 million hectares (42%).
• Following a period of long-term decline through the 1970s and 1980s, the woodland bird index remained relatively stable during the 1990s and 2000s. Since 2010 woodland bird populations have continued to decline, with woodland generalist species down by 8% and woodland specialist species down by 17%.
• After a significant decline through the 1990s, butterfly abundance in woodland has remained relatively stable since the mid-2000s, and has shown no significant change in the short term.
• Around three-quarters of respondents (76%) to the UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2025 agreed with the statement “Action should be taken by authorities and woodland managers to protect trees from damaging pests and diseases”.

Downloads

Chapter 5: Environment – Statistical Notice [PDF, 291 KB]

Chapter 5: Environment – Dataset [ODS, 104 KB]

Chapter 6 – Social

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 (Office for National Statistics population estimates).

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 Welsh People and Nature Survey;
• The National Survey for Wales;
• 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. For 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.

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 491 million visits to woodlands in England in 2024/25.
• There were an estimated 60 million visits to woodlands by Welsh residents in 2023/24.
• There were an estimated 142 million visits to woodlands in Scotland 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 in 2024/25.
• Walking (including taking a dog for a walk) was the most common activity on visits to woodland in England in 2024/25.
• Over two-thirds (70%) of respondents to the UK Public Opinion of Forestry survey in 2025 had visited forests or woodlands in the last few years. Of these, 32% 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%.
• Of respondents to the Public Opinion of Forestry Survey in the UK in 2025 who had visited forests or woodlands in the last few years, 61% said their level of happiness when in forests and woodlands had increased compared with before the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (March 2020).

Downloads

Chapter 6: Social – Statistical Notice [PDF, 441 KB]

Chapter 6: Social – Dataset [ODS, 105 KB]

Chapter 7 – Employment and Businesses

Introduction

This chapter contains information on:

• employment in forestry and wood processing;
• health and safety;
• and numbers of businesses.

All of the statistics presented in this chapter relate to UK totals. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Most of the statistics presented in this chapter have been previously released. Some of the figures in this chapter have been revised since Forestry Statistics 2025. For further details on revisions, see Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Please refer to Glossary – Forest Research for a glossary of terms used in this release.

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 Business Register and Employment Survey reported average employment[1] in 2023 of 24 thousand in forestry.
• There was estimated to be a total of 7.3 thousand full-time equivalent staff employed by primary wood processors in the UK in 2025, a 3% decrease from the total for 2024.
• The latest major accident rates for Great Britain, covering 2024/25, show an increase for wood products compared to 2023/24, a slight increase for forestry, and a decrease for pulp, paper and paper products.
• There were 179 establishments in the primary wood processing industries in the UK using UK-grown roundwood in 2025.

[1] There are a number of differences in the scope of the employment estimates provided by the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) and the full-time equivalent figures obtained from the annual surveys of the UK timber industry run by Forest Research (FR). In particular, the BRES figures cover employment by all businesses in the relevant sectors that pay VAT and/or PAYE. This will include businesses that do not use UK grown timber. The FR surveys include businesses below the VAT and PAYE thresholds but exclude businesses that do not use UK grown timber.

Downloads

Chapter 7: Employment and Businesses – Statistical Notice [PDF, 288 KB]

Chapter 7: Employment and Businesses – Dataset [ODS, 102 KB]

Chapter 8 – Finance and Prices

Introduction

This chapter contains statistics on:

• timber prices;
• gross value added (GVA);
• Government expenditure on forestry;
• and grant schemes.

Estimates for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are included, where possible, in addition to UK or Great Britain totals. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Most of the statistics presented in this chapter have been previously released. Some of the figures for earlier years have been revised since Forestry Statistics 2025. For further details on revisions, see Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Please refer to Glossary – Forest Research for a glossary of terms used in this release.

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 Coniferous Standing Sales Price Index for Great Britain was 11.7% higher in real terms in the year to March 2026, compared with the previous year.
• The Softwood Sawlog Price Index for Great Britain was 31% lower in real terms in the six months to March 2026, compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
• The Small Roundwood Price Index for Great Britain was 8.4% lower in real terms in the six months to March 2026, compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
• Gross value added (GVA) in primary wood processing (sawmilling, panels and pulp and paper) was £2.43 billion in the UK in 2024. GVA in forestry was £0.97 billion.
• Net expenditure on public forests by Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland and Natural Resources Wales totalled £78.4 million in 2025/26.
• £93.1 million was paid in grants for forestry by the Forestry Commission, Welsh Government, and Scottish Forestry in 2025/26.

Downloads

Chapter 8: Finance and Prices – Statistical Notice [PDF, 349 KB]

Chapter 8: Finance and Prices – Dataset [ODS, 105 KB]

Chapter 9 – International Forestry

Introduction

This chapter contains information about world forestry, presenting global figures by region alongside data for the UK and the EU. Topics covered include woodland area, carbon stocks, wood removals, production, and apparent consumption of wood products and international trade in forest products.

The data is produced by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). All of the statistics presented in this chapter have been previously released by the FAO. Further information on revisions, data sources, and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Data for the European Union (EU) relate to all 27 current EU members, excluding the UK, for all the years shown. Data for Europe cover 26 of the EU members (excluding Cyprus), Russia, and a number of other European countries, including Norway, Switzerland, Serbia, and Ukraine. Cyprus is included in the EU total, but is part of FAO’s Asia region and is thus not included in the Europe total.

These figures are outside the scope of Accredited Official Statistics. For further information see Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Please refer to Glossary – Forest Research for a glossary of terms used in this release.

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:

• At around 14% forest cover in 2025, the UK is one of the least densely forested countries in Europe. This compares with 47% for Europe as a whole and 32% worldwide.
• The global forest area reduced by around 7.7 million hectares (0.1%) per year between 2020 and 2025.
• Carbon stocks in forest living biomass have increased in Europe, North & Central America, and Asia between 1990 and 2025 and have shown an overall increase at a global level over this period.
• Around 3.9 billion cubic metres underbark of wood was removed from global forests in 2024, of which around one-half (50%) was used as industrial roundwood (for use by wood processors) and the remainder as woodfuel.
• Global production of wood products in 2024 totalled 445 million cubic metres of sawnwood, 393 million cubic metres of wood-based panels, and 423 million tonnes of paper and paperboard.
• Europe consumed 25% of all sawnwood, 20% of the world’s wood-based panels and 20% of all paper and paperboard in 2024.
• The UK was the third largest net importer (imports less exports) of forest products in 2024, with net imports of US $8.1 billion. The largest net importer was China, with net imports of US $26.9 billion.

Downloads

Chapter 9: International Forestry – Statistical Notice [PDF, 668 KB]

Chapter 9: International Forestry – Dataset [ODS, 113 KB]

Chapter 10 – Sources and Methodology

This chapter provides background information on the statistics presented in this release. It covers:

• data sources and methodology used to produce the statistics;
• information on quality measures;
• information on any revisions to historic data;
• and links to further information.

Further details on quality are provided in quality reports for selected topics and for individual surveys, available from our Quality of Official Statistics web page.

Please refer to the glossary in the Introduction and Glossary chapter for an explanation of any terms used.

As an Accredited Official Statistics output, this publication concentrates on topics for which the data meet Accredited Official Statistics quality standards. However, some topics outside the scope of Accredited Official Statistics are included, to give a more rounded picture; any such tables are footnoted as “outside the scope of Accredited Official Statistics”. This means that they have not been subject to Accredited Official Statistics quality assurance procedures but does not necessarily imply that they are of poorer quality. This edition of Forestry Statistics includes the following tables and charts that are outside the scope of Accredited Official Statistics:

• Table 1.1 to 1.3: Woodland area in the UK (time series);
• Tables 1.12 to 1.17, figures 1.5a and 1.5b: National Forest Inventory;
• Table 1.18: Felling licences;
• Tables 1.9a and 1.9b: Statutory Plant Health Notices;
• Tables 1.10a to 1.10d: Area of woodland loss;
• Table 1.111: Canopy Cover in England.
• Table 2.4a: Softwood availability forecasts;
• Table 2.4b: Hardwood availability forecasts;
• Table 2.30: Recycled wood used for woodfuel;
• Tables 4.1 to 4.3, Figure 4.1: Carbon;
• Tables 5.1a and 5.1b: Woodland types and habitats;
• Table 5.4: Tree health;
• Tables 6.1, 6.2, 6.4 to 6.7, Figures 6.1 and 6.2: Social;
• Tables 9.1 to 9.6, Figures 9.1 to 9.7: International forestry.

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Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology [PDF, 678 KB]