Felling at a record level in 2021

Nyhet | Statistik - 07 June 2022

The Swedish felling increased to record levels in 2021 and amounted to just under 97 million cubic meters standing volume according to preliminary statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency. Swedish felling has never been higher, with the exception of 2005 following the storm Gudrun.

According to the Swedish Forest Agency's preliminary statistics, the gross felling in 2021 amounted to 96.6 million cubic meters standing volume. This is an increase of 3.8 per cent compared to 2020 when the felling amounted to 93.1 million cubic meters standing volume. The felling in 2021 was the highest so far if one disregards the year 2005 when felling amounted to 122 million cubic meters standing volume due to the storm Gudrun.

The harvest of saw logs increased sharply

The net felling, which consists of the harvested volume of all tree trunks that are fully or partially removed, amounted to 77.0 million cubic meters (m3sub) in 2021. Just over half of the net felling consisted of saw logs from conifers, 41 per cent of pulpwood, 7 per cent of firewood and a few per cent of other wood.

Compared to 2020, the felling of saw logs from conifers is estimated to have increased by 5.7 per cent and the felling of pulpwood increased by 1.0 per cent and firewood increased by 7.1 per cent. In 2021, imports of roundwood were preliminarily 6.3 million cubic meters, which is about 0.9 million cubic meters less than the year before. Exports were preliminary 1.2 million cubic meters, which is approximately 0.2 million cubic meters more than in 2020.

Just over 65 per cent of the volume comes from final felling

Just over 65 per cent of the harvested volume comes from final felling, 24 per cent from thinning and the rest from other types of fellings. Just over 36 per cent of the harvested volume comes from Götaland, about 30 per cent from Svealand and just over 33 per cent from Norrland.

The average felling volume during the period 2016–2020 was 257 cubic meters standing volume per hectare in final felling and 71 cubic meters standing volume per hectare in thinning.

On average, the final felling area was 231,000 hectares and the thinning area was 306,000 hectares per year during the period 2016–2020. In comparison with the period 2015–2019, both the final felling area and the thinning area have increased. Removal of branches and tree tops for energy purposes was made on 31 per cent of the final felling area.

Spruce makes up more than half of the harvested volume, pine one third and broadleaves just over one tenth.

The average final felling area is 3.2 hectares

In 2020, the average final felling area for fellings larger than 0.5 hectares was 3.2 hectares. The average size of the final fellings in Northern Norrland (5.3 hectares) was more than twice the size of the average in Götaland (2.1 hectares). The average final felling area of individual forest owners is almost 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 not removed felled whole trees, tops, bark and not removed trunk parts. Expressed in solid cubic meters under bark (m3s ub) which refers to the trunk volume except bark, top and branches.

 

The statistics are part of the Official Statistics of Sweden.