Facts about the survey Stocks of softwood sawlogs, pulpwood and pulpchips

Since 2013, the Swedish Forest Agency collects quarterly data on stock volumes of softwood sawlogs, pulpwood and pulp chips. We collect by timber balance region and for pulpwood also by assortment and storage location (industry, terminal, road). The statistics are included in the Official Statistics of Sweden

The statistics cover the volumes of wood in stock at sawmills, pulp and paper mills, forest companies and purchasing enterprises.

During the period 1975-2012, Statistics Sweden (SCB) collected quarterly data for pulpwood and pulp chips as well as annual stock volumes for softwood sawlogs, partly on behalf of the Swedish Forest Agency and the Swedish Forest Industries Federation.

Definitions and explanations

  • Sawmill/processing industry - Plant where sawing of round timber takes place with or without integration with further processing, such as planning, packaging and furniture manufacturing.
  • Terminal - Intermediate storage site where debarking, sorting and measurement may occur, such as railway terminal and port.
  • Roadside and other - stocks at forest road side
  • Softwood sawlogs - Sawlogs of pine and spruce.
  • Mixed softwood pulpwood - Pulpwood of pine and mixture of softwood pulpwood. Has also been called pine/softwood pulpwood in the survey, but softwood pulpwood is the name used by the industry.
  • Spruce pulpwood - Pulpwood consisting solely of Norway spruce.
  • Hardwood pulpwood - Pulpwood consisting of hardwood.

How we do the statistics

The data is based on results from the Swedish Forest Agency's survey on stocks of softwood sawlogs, pulpwood and pulp chips. Until 2021, data from the Swedish Forest Industries Federation's collection of statistics on softwood sawlogs at sawmills were included among its member companies. As of 2022, the Swedish Forest Agency will collect all data.

As of 2019, the survey is a total survey. In previous years, there was a total survey for sawmills with a turnover of more than SEK 49 million and for all paper and pulp mills, administrations and purchasing companies. We investigated sawmills with a turnover between SEK 5-49 million using spot checks. As before, we have a cut-off limit for sawmills that is set at SEK 5 million in turnover according to the Business Register. Stocks of sawlogs at sawmills with a turnover of less than SEK 5 million are not included in the reported statistics.

The Business Register contains information about all companies, organizations, and their establishments in Sweden. The register contains information on, among other things, type of industry, region, number of employees and form of ownership. Statistics Sweden is responsible for the Business Register.

Reliability of the statistics

The survey is a total survey, which is why there are no sampling errors. Errors due to over coverage occur because many sawmills with industry code sawing in the business register no longer saw. Under coverage occurred earlier when we used data from the Swedish Forest Industries Federation's collection of stocks of softwood sawlogs as it only included industrial stocks. Their possible stocks at the road and terminal were not included. Other sources of error such as double reporting, processing errors or errors in the provision of data may occur, but we try to minimize them. Most of the sawmill production is highly concentrated in a few very large units.

  • Last Updated: 5/2/2023