Felling continued to decrease in 2025

Nyhet | Statistik - 09 June 2026

The trend of decreasing felling in recent years continued in 2025. Felling in Sweden decreased in 2025 and amounted to 87 million cubic meters standing volume, according to preliminary statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency. This means that annual felling has decreased for four consecutive years since 2021. Not since 2013 has annual felling been lower.

According to preliminary statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency, gross felling in 2025 amounted to 87.0 million cubic meters standing volume. This represents a decrease of just under 1 percent compared with 2024, when felling amounted to 87.7 million cubic meters standing volume.

In 2021, a record level of felling was recorded, excluding 2005 and 2007 when felling volumes were very high due to the storms Gudrun and Per. Several years of increasing felling levels came to an end in 2022 with a decline in felling. The downward trend in felling has continued since then. Not since 2013 has felling been lower than in 2025.

The harvest of coniferous sawlogs decreased

The net felling, which consists of the harvested volume of all tree trunks that are fully or partially removed, amounted to 70.5 million cubic meters (m3sub) in 2025. Just under half consisted of sawlogs from conifers, 44 percent of pulpwood and 8 percent of firewood.

Compared with 2024, harvesting of coniferous sawlogs is estimated to have decreased by just over 1 percent, while pulpwood harvesting remained largely unchanged. Fuelwood harvesting decreased by 4 percent.

Exports of harvested roundwood increased, while imports decrased

Just over 1 percent of Swedish roundwood harvest was exported in 2025. Exports increased in 2025 by approximately 10 percent. From 0.9 million cubic meters in 2024 to a preliminary 1.0 million cubic meters.

Total roundwood imports decreased in 2025 by approximately 9 percent. From 9.2 million cubic meters in 2024 to 8.4 million cubic meters in 2025. The decrease was entirely in pulpwood. Imports of pulpwood decreased by 1.8 million cubic meters, while imports of coniferous sawlogs increased by 1.0 million cubic meters.

Decreased felling in Götaland and Svealand

Felling decreased in 2025 in the southern parts of Sweden (Götaland and Svealand). In Götaland, felling decreased by 6 percent, and in Svealand by 2 percent. In Northern Norrland, felling increased by 9 percent and in Southern Norrland by 4 percent.

The highest levels of felling were in Västra Götaland County

In 2025, 7.5 million cubic meters were felled in Västra Götaland county. This corresponded to 9 percent percent of the total felling in the country. The second-largest was Värmlands county, where 7.7 million cubic meters were felled.

65 percent of the volume comes from final felling

About 65 percent of the harvested volume comes from final felling, 26 percent from thinning and the rest from other types of fellings.

The average felling volume during the period 2020–2024 was 265 cubic meters standing volume per hectare in final felling and 70 cubic meters standing volume per hectare in thinning.

On average, the area of final felling was 209,000 hectares and the area of thinning was 313,000 hectares per year during the period 2020–2024. In comparison with the period 2019–2023 the final felling area has decreased 9 percent and the thinning area has increased 5 percent. Removal of branches and tree tops for energy purposes was undertaken on 35 percent of the final felling area.

Spruce makes up 58 percent of the harvested volume, pine 31 percent and broadleaves 11 percent.

The average final felling area is 3.5 hectares

In 2024, the average final felling area for fellings larger than 0.5 hectares was 3.5 hectares. The average size of the final fellings in Northern Norrland (5.1 hectares) was more than twice the size of the average in Götaland (2.3 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.