Continued decrease in fellings in 2024

Nyhet | Statistik - 02 June 2025

Felling in Sweden decreased in 2024 and amounted to just over 87 million cubic meters standing volume according to preliminary statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency. The decline is a continuation of the sharp decrease in 2023 after a couple of years with high felling levels. The felling in 2024 is the lowest since 2013.

According to the Swedish Forest Agency's preliminary statistics, the gross felling in 2024 amounted to 87.1 million cubic meters standing volume. This is a decrease of 2 percent compared to 2023 when felling amounted to 88.9 million cubic meters standing volume.

Peaks in felling occupied in 2005 and 2007 in conjunction with the storms Gudrun and Per. If these two peaks are excluded, then the years 2021 and 2022 represent record high levels of felling. The decline in felling for 2023 and 2024 is so significant that you need to go back to 2013 to find a lower annual felling.

The harvest of pulpwood decreased

The net felling, which consists of the harvested volume of all tree trunks that are fully or partially removed, amounted to 70.3 million cubic meters (m³sub) in 2024. Just under half of the net felling consisted of saw logs from conifers, 43 percent of pulpwood and 8 percent of firewood.

Compared to 2023, the harvest of saw logs from conifers is estimated to have been unchanged, while the harvest of pulpwood decreased by 4 percent. The harvest of firewood was 3 percent lower compared to 2023.

Exports decreased and imports increased

Just over 1 percent of the Swedish harvest was exported in 2024. Exports decreased in 2024, from 1,3 million cubic meters in 2023 to a preliminary 0.9 million cubic meters in 2024.

In 2024, imports of roundwood amounted to a preliminary 9.2 million cubic meters, which is about 1.9 million cubic meters more than the previous year. Imports increased from the Baltic countries, Norway and Poland. Imports decreased from Finland.

Decreased felling in Svealand and Götaland

Felling decreased in 2024 in the southern parts of Sweden (Svealand and Götaland). In Svealand, felling decreased by 6 percent and in Götaland by 3 percent. In Northern Norrland, felling was unchanged while it increased by 4 percent in Southern Norrland.

The highest levels of felling were in Västra Götaland County

In 2024, 8.1 million cubic meters were felled in Västra Götaland county, which was 9 percent of the total felling in the country. Felling was also high in Värmland county, where 7.8 million cubic meters were felled.

About two-thirds of the volume comes from final felling

About 66 percent of the harvested volume comes from final felling, 24 percent from thinning and the rest from other types of fellings.

The average felling volume during the period 2019–2023 was 259 cubic meters standing volume per hectare in final felling and 72 cubic meters standing volume per hectare in thinning.

On average, the area of final felling was 231,000 hectares and the area of thinning was 300,000 hectares per year during the period 2019–2023. In comparison with the period 2018–2022 the final felling area has decreased 5 percent and the thinning area has increased 5 percent. Removal of branches and tree tops for energy purposes was undertaken on 34 percent of the final felling area.

Spruce makes up 58 percent of the harvested volume, pine 32 percent and broadleaves 10 percent.

The average final felling area is 3.6 hectares

In 2024, the average final felling area for fellings larger than 0.5 hectares was 3.6 hectares. The average size of the final fellings in Northern Norrland (5.6 hectares) was more than twice the size of the average in Götaland (2.5 hectares). The average final felling area of individual forest owners was about 40 percent less than that of other forest owners.

Explanations

Gross felling: Total harvested trunk volume, including trunks not removed from the forest. Measured in cubic meters standing volume (m³sk) which means the trunk volume above the stump including top and bark but excluding branches.

Net felling: Total harvested trunk volume above the stump excluding tops and bark and felled whole trees and trunk parts that are not removed from the forest. Expressed in solid cubic meters under bark (m³s ub) which refers to the trunk volume excluding bark, top and branches.

The statistics are part of the Official Statistics of Sweden.