Forests across the European Union are growing at a faster rate than they are being harvested, according to the latest data from Eurostat.
According to the 2023 data, forest growth exceeded wood harvesting in 23 EU member states, with Romania reporting the highest forest growth after harvest, of 39.9 million cubic metres.
This was followed by Sweden (26.4 million) and Poland (26.3 million), the data showed.
At the other end of the scale, just one European country, Estonia, reported removals exceeding that of increments, resulting in a decrease of 2.5 million cubic metres. Data was not available for Greece, Spain or Italy.
Sustainable harvesting
‘Sustainable harvesting is crucial in forestry management, as it focuses on intentionally harvested wood while excluding unforeseen catastrophic losses,’ Eurostat noted. ‘This approach provides a clearer picture of the forestry industry’s ecological footprint.’
Eurostat released the data on Europe’s forests to coincide with the International Day of Forests, which is celebrated on 20 March. Read more here.
Volume of Timber Over Bark by EU Member State, 2023
| Country | Net Annual Increment | Removals |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 27,959.95 | 22,298.6 |
| Belgium | 5,526.63 | 5,370.47 |
| Bulgaria | 13,311 | 5,514 |
| Croatia | 8,896 | 5,778.7 |
| Cyprus | 202.32 | 10.11 |
| Czechia | 21,253.31 | 20,495.73 |
| Denmark | 11,049 | 5,564 |
| Estonia | 9,100 | 11,564 |
| Finland | 93,496 | 72,694 |
| France | 73,914.06 | 50,020.5 |
| Germany | 96,571.75 | 72,690 |
| Greece | n/a | n/a |
| Hungary | 11,819.03 | 7,284.86 |
| Ireland | 10,025 | 4,269 |
| Italy | n/a | n/a |
| Latvia | 19,624.1 | 18,920 |
| Lithuania | 19,404 | 8,324 |
| Luxembourg | 833.72 | 327.5 |
| Malta | 0 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 1,792.13 | 1,141.28 |
| Poland | 78,378.42 | 52,077.7 |
| Portugal | 18,892.31 | 16,304.66 |
| Romania | 54,843.14 | 16,940.06 |
| Slovakia | 13,460 | 8,416 |
| Slovenia | 7,557.48 | 4,770.91 |
| Spain | n/a | n/a |
| Sweden | 111,715 | 85,300 |
