Decrease in notifications for final felling in 2024

Nyhet | Statistik - 18 March 2025

In 2024, the Swedish Forest Agency received notifications for final felling according to Section 14 of the Forestry Act, on 245,494 hectares of productive forest land. This is a decrease of 6 percent compared to 2023. The area of applications in montane forests decreased by 27 percent, to 9,043 hectares.

In total forest owners notified and applied for final felling over 245,494 hectares of forest, which is a decrease of 6 percent in comparison to 2023.

Notification of final felling (according to Section 14 of the Forestry Act)

In 2024, the Swedish Forest Agency received 57,303 notifications of final felling on a total of 227,025 hectares of productive forest land. This was a decrease of 6 percent compared to 2023. This is the lowest notified area since 2012.

Individual forest owners notified a significantly larger area than other forest owners and have done so since 2016.

Notified area for final felling per ownership class:

• Individual forest owners 133,972 hectares, - 9 percent
• Other forest owners 93,053 hectares, - 2 percent

The average area in notifications of final felling in 2024 was 4,0 hectares, which is slightly less than average for the previous ten years, 4,2 hectares.

Applications for final felling in montane forests

In 2024, the area of the application for permits for final felling of montane forest decreased by 27 percent to 9,043 hectares. This can be compared with the average area for the previous ten years, which is 6,851 hectares. Compared to the previous five years, this is a decrease of 8 percent.

Permits for felling in valuable broad-leaved forest

In 2024, the area of the application for permits for final felling of valuable broad-leaved forest increased by 22 percent to 1,254 hectares. This can be compared with the average area for the previous ten years, which is 1,325 hectares.

Felling for purposes other than wood production

In 2024, forest owners notified and applied for felling on 8,176 hectares of productive forest land for purposes other than timber production. Of this, the majority (8,041 hectares) was notified felling according to Section 14 of the Forestry Act, 62 hectares in montane forests and 73 hectares in valuable broad-leaved forest. Compared with last year, the notified area increased by 32 percent and the area applied for in valuable broad-leaved forest by 7 percent. In montane forests the area applied for decreased by 57 percent compared to 2023.

Explanation

The increased or decreased area in notifications and applications for permits for final felling does not necessarily mean that the area of actual final felling has increased or decreased to the same extent.

Statistics refer to notifications for felling on productive forest land and applications for permission for felling in montane forest and valuable broad-leaved forest.

The survey is part of the Official Statistics of Sweden.

All results are published in our statistical database.