Forestry Facts and Figures 2024: correction

On Thursday, 26 September, we published this year’s summary of forestry statistics, Forestry Facts and Figures 2024. The statistics are compiled by Forest Research on behalf of the forestry authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and provide information on woodland area and cover, timber and wood products, imports and exports to economics, employment, woodland visits and the environment.

Since publication, we have updated the figure provided for percentage of land area in the UK covered by woodland. The statistic, published in the Forestry Facts and Figures booklet, and found in Chapter 1 Woodland Area and Planting ‘Key Findings’ of the full set of statistics, has been amended due to a typographic error. As of March 2024, woodland area in the UK represents 13.5% of total land area in the UK. We have also made further changes to reported area sub-totals related to private sector conifer woodland area in England.  The total hectares of woodland in the UK is 3,279,000.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Introduction

This chapter contains information on:

• UK woodland area;
• certified woodland area;
• areas of new planting and restocking;
• felling; and
• canopy cover in England.

Estimates for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are included in addition to UK totals. International comparisons are provided in the International Forestry chapter. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

Figures on woodland area and certified woodland area at 31 March 2024 and on new planting and restocking for the period 2023/24 were previously published in Provisional Woodland Statistics 2024, released on 20 June 2024. For further details on revisions, see the Woodland Areas and Planting section of Chapter 10: Sources and Methodology.

A copy of all woodland area and planting tables, along with longer time series (where available) can be accessed in spreadsheet format from our Time Series page.

Key findings

The main findings are:

• The area of woodland in the UK at 31 March 2024 is estimated to be 3.28 million hectares. This represents 14% of the total land area in the UK, 19% in Scotland, 15% in Wales, 10% in England, and 9% in Northern Ireland.
• Of the total UK woodland area, 0.86 million hectares is owned or managed by Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales or the Forest Service (in Northern Ireland).
• The total certified woodland area in the UK at 31 March 2024 is 1.44 million hectares, including all Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Welsh Government Woodland Estate and Forest Service woodland. Overall, 44% of the UK woodland area is certified.
• 20.66 thousand hectares of newly created woodland were reported in the UK in 2023/24.

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