Decrease in delivered seedlings in 2025

Nyhet | Statistik - 14 April 2026

A total of 386 million seedlings were delivered in 2025, which is a decrease of 19 million (5 percent) compared to 2024. The proportion of delivered seedlings of Scots pine was 53 percent while the proportion of Norway spruce was 40 percent.

The number of Scots pine seedlings has increased steadily for several years. However, the last two years it has decreased to 206 million seedlings. That is a decrease of 13 million, compared to 2024. The number of delivered seedlings of Norway spruce was just over 156 million, which was a decrease of 11 million seedlings, compared to 2024.

Together, Norway spruce and Scots pine seedlings account for 94 percent of the total number of forest seedlings delivered. Lodgepole pine seedlings represented 2.8 percent and birch 1,7 percent. Larch, sitka spruce and seedlings of other conifers and broadleaf species each make up less than 1.0 percent of the number of forest seedlings delivered.

Production method

Container-rooted seedlings are the dominant method of production for coniferous species. Scots pine and lodgepole pine are almost entirely produced as container-rooted seedlings. The proportion of Norway spruce seedlings produced as container-rooted in 2025 was 80 percent. Birch seedlings proportion was 60 percent and Larch 57 percent, which is an increase compared to 2024 (53 and 50 percent respectively). Sitka spruce, other broadleaf tree species and other coniferous species were produced as bare-rooted seedlings, in 95, 88 and 68 percent of cases respectively, in 2025. Just under 4 percent of the coniferous seedlings were produced as transplanted container-rooted seedlings in 2025.

Propagation method

Seed propagation was the dominant method of propagation for coniferous seedlings in 2025. Vegetative propagation was mainly used for broadleaf seedlings other than birch.

Protection method

In 2025 the proportion of Norway spruce, Scots pine and lodgepole pine seedlings with protection against insects was 72, 48 and 17 percent respectively. The proportion of coniferous seedlings delivered with some sort of protection against insects (mechanical) has increased steadily, from 27 percent in 2016 to 55 percent in 2025. During the same period, the proportion of insecticide-treated seedlings has decreased from 18 to 2 percent while the proportion of plants without treatment has decreased from 55 percent in 2016 to 43 percent in 2025.

Origin

In 2025, 86 percent of delivered forest seedlings originated from seed orchards in Sweden, in which is 2 percentage points less compared to 2024. Seedlings of Scots pine and Lodgepole pine almost solely originate from Swedish seed-orchards. The proportion of Norway spruce seedlings originating from Swedish seed-orchards was 81 percent, which is one percentage point less compared to 2024.

 

Forest seedlings imported to Sweden for forest sowing

In 2024, 50.0 million seedlings were imported to Sweden from other countries. This means that 12 percent of delivered seedlings in 2024 (out of 405 million seedlings in total) were at least partially produced outside Sweden. However, it is unclear whether the plants were considered delivered in the same year as they were imported.

 

The statistics refer to seedlings and seeds for use in Sweden.

Explanation

• Container-rooted seedlings – the roots are surrounded by a substrate cluster that usually consists of peat.
• Transplanted container-rooted seedlings – container-rooted seedlings which are transplanted as bare-rooted seedlings.
• Bare-rooted seedlings – seedlings without accompanying cultivation substrate (soil or peat) around the roots.

The survey is part of the Official Statistics of Sweden.