Documentation of statistics flows of wood material

Data description

In the statistics on flows of wood material, use and mass balances are used to represent the supply of wood and forest industry products from different sources, their use in industries and energy generation, and the flow of wood material from raw materials into products in the national economy. In addition, the statistics present information about foreign trade in roundwood and forest industry products in terms of dry-matter tons of wood.

Classification system

According to the Standard Industrial Classification (TOL 2008), forest industries are divided into the wood products industry (TOL 2008: 16) and the pulp and paper industry (TOL 2008: 17). A more detailed business field division than main groups are used to present the results. The EU Combined Nomenclature (CN) is applied to foreign trade.

Sector coverage

The statistics cover the supply and use of wood in Finland.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Use balance

The use balance presents annual data, in a single table, about the supply, foreign trade, use and production of wood and forest industry products per business field and product group. The balance monitors the use of wood raw materials, their processing into intermediate and end products, the final consumption of products, the use of by-products generated during processing as raw materials or energy sources, and the production of forest industry products.

The calculation is based on the Natural Resources Institute Finland’s (Luke) statistics on roundwood removals, foreign trade of forest industry products, and the use of wood in the forest industry and energy generation. Statistics on spent liquors are based on Statistics Finland’s energy statistics. Data about the production of forest industry products, waste paper and board are generated by the Finnish Forest Industries Federation. 

Logs, pulpwood, energywood and fuelwood, as well as forest industry by-products, recycled wood, sawn goods, plywood and particle boards are presented in thousands of solid cubic metres. Fibreboards, wood pulp, paper and board, waste paper and board, and spent liquors are presented in thousands of tonnes.

In the use balance, basic supply (the amount of wood or forest industry products available for domestic use) is calculated as the apparent consumption: production + imports - exports. Stock changes should also be addressed, but such data are unavailable.

Use is divided into the use of forest industry raw materials in Finland and other uses. The latter mainly means the use of wood as energy at heating and power plants and in small-scale housing. Other uses are also attributable to other business fields, including agriculture and transport, but these wood batches are not recorded separately.

According to the Standard Industrial Classification (TOL, 2008), forest industries are divided into the wood products industry (TOL, 2008: 16) and the pulp and paper industry (TOL, 2008: 17). The wood products industry has been divided into the sawmill, plywood, particle board, fibreboard and other wood products industries. In contrast, the pulp and paper industry has been divided into the pulp industry (mechanical and chemical pulp) and paper and board manufacturing.

Mass balance

In the mass balance, forest industry raw materials and products are converted into a single measuring unit, dry-matter tons of wood, and the use of wood in forest industry roundwood, intermediate products, end products, fuel and waste is monitored.

In the mass balance, dry matter factors are based on the factors used previously by Statistics Finland in forest accounts, which Luke has checked and adjusted, if required, based on the most recent research data and expert estimates. The mass balance factors of wood and the wood products industry are mainly based on Luke’s surveys, while the pulp and paper industry’s factors have mainly been determined by Aalto University’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems. While the mass balance has been calculated at a detailed product level, the results are presented at a more general level by main product group in the database.

Dry matter factors can be found in a separate attachment.

In the mass balance, the basic supply of wood raw materials has been divided into roundwood and wood residues, imported pulp, and waste paper and board. Recycled wood, the consumption of which totalled 1.1 million m3 in 2017, is part of energywood. Forest industry by-products consist of chips and wood residues (pellets and other residues).

The use of wood has been divided into the manufacturing of forest industry products and “other” uses, mainly consisting of the use of wood as energy at heating and power plants and in small-scale housing. Other uses have been divided further into exports of forest industry by-products and wood waste. The latter data have been calculated from the use of wood in forest industry products based on rated wood loss. Rated wood loss consists of wood matter that ends up in wastewater treatment mainly as dissolved and solid matter.

The residual of the mass balance is calculated by deducting the amount of wood used in forest industry products, fuel and other uses from the amount of wood used in the industry’s raw materials. The difference consists of stock changes, loss and a statistical error. No public statistical data about stocks are available. However, the most significant source of error in the calculation of mass balances is the factors used to convert the quantities of wood and forest industry products into dry-matter tons of wood.

Foreign trade in roundwood and forest industry products

As part of forest accounts, the statistics also present data about the volumes of foreign trade in wood and forest industry products from 2000. All data are presented in thousands of dry-matter tons of wood. The statistics use the same dry matter factors as the calculation of the mass balance.

Luke’s monthly and annual statistics on foreign trade in roundwood and forest industry products are the primary source for monitoring foreign trade in forest industry products. The forest accounts supplement the basic statistics so that export and import volumes are available using the same unit, i.e. dry-matter tons. This means, for example, that the export volumes of the wood products and pulp and paper industries can be summed.

The same product classification is used in the tables of the forest accounts as in Luke’s foreign trade statistics. However, certain product groups have been combined into larger groups. The product classification is based on the EU Combined Nomenclature (CN).

Statistical unit

Luke’s forest statistics on roundwood removals, the consumption of wood (forest industries, heating and power plants, and small-scale housing), and foreign trade in roundwood and forest industry products are used in the preparation of the forest accounts. Data about the forest industries’ spent liquors are obtained from Statistics Finland’s statistics on energy supply and consumption. Statistics on the production of forest industry products, waste paper and board are generated by the Finnish Forest Industries Federation.

Statistics for compiling statistics on the mass balance and foreign trade in the forest sector are calculated using dry matter factors. The factors are based on previous studies and information obtained from specialists of Luke, Aalto University, Statistics Finland and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Statistical population

The statistics cover the supply, demand, use and material flows of wood and forest industry products in the national economy’s business fields.

Unit of measure 

The current national forest accounts only include physical variables (cubic metres and tons).

Reference period

Calendar year

Time coverage

The statistics, prepared in accordance with current statistical principles, are available in Luke’s statistics database starting from 2000. The time series of Statistics Finland extend to 1980.

Frequency of disseminations

Annually

The statistics are compiled based on the Act on the Natural Resources Institute Finland (561/2014), the act on food and natural resource statistics (562/2014) and the Statistics Act (280/2004).

More information: Statistics legislation

Confidentiality is a base principle of statistics and assures the confidential processing of data provided by informants, and the Natural Resources Institute Finland has undertaken to follow this principle.

More information: Privacy policy – Statistics

The disseminations of the Natural Resources Institute Finland are published online on weekdays at 9:00.  Data is public after it has been published on the website.

Publication calendar

The publication dates are confirmed in autumn together with the action plans. The release calendar of the following year is published for users in the end of the year. The release calendar holds data on the dates of future publications. The calendar also contains direct links to already published statistical publication.

Access to the publication calendar

Statistical releases calendar | Natural Resources Institute Finland

User satisfaction

Feedback is collected from the users of the statistics, especially when revising the statistics. Feedback is also received directly. In addition, we investigated the wishes of users for developing the statistics in the autumn of 2021 and beginning of 2022, when updating the work programme for the Natural Resources Institute Finland. We follow the received feedback and take it into consideration in developing the statistics.

Overall accuracy and reliability

Luke’s forest statistics that are used as base data for the statistics on flows of wood material fulfil the quality criteria set for the Official Statistics of Finland (OSF). More information about the preparation and reliability of individual statistics is presented in their quality reports.

Dry matter factors are the most significant variables affecting the reliability of the statistics on flows of wood material. They are used to convert wood and forest industry products into dry-matter tons. For roundwood, wood residues and the wood products industry, conversion factors are mainly based on studies conducted in the sectors. The factors used in the pulp and paper industry are mostly expert estimates. This is significant considering the mass balance, as paper and board account for roughly a fifth of the total amount of wood used in Finland.

Timeliness

Luke publishes annual data for the statistics on flows of wood material in November following the statistical year. The data are final.

Geographical comparability

The statistical data are published at a national level.

Comparability - over time

Luke’s new time series for flows of wood material published in 2019 have been prepared following harmonised statistical principles since 2000, and annual data are comparable between different years. Statistics Finland published forest accounts annually until the end of 2014. Statistics Finland’s time series start from 1980.

Coherence - cross domain

While the data published by Luke differ from Statistics Finland’s time series, overall differences are minor. Differences are larger in the supply than the use of forest industry products.

There are various reasons for the statistical differences. Luke (and previously the Finnish Forest Research Institute) has corrected certain base data used in the forest statistics afterwards. Luke has also updated the conversion factors used in the calculation of the mass balance based on the most recent data obtained from Luke and Aalto University. In addition, Luke calculates data using a more detailed product and business field division than before. Roundwood, wood residues, sawn goods and plywood are calculated by tree species instead of using aggregated data as previously. With regard to paper, Luke uses separate conversion factors for newspapers and coated and uncoated magazine and fine paper. In addition, the factors are calculated separately for each year due to changes in the internal structures of product groups.

Data about foreign trade in roundwood and forest industry products are calculated using the same product classification as in the statistics on foreign trade in roundwood and forest industry products.

Source data

Luke’s forest statistics

Frequency of data collection

No separate data collection applies to the statistics. 

Data collection

Luke’s forest statistics on roundwood removals, the consumption of wood (forest industries, heating and power plants, and small-scale housing), and foreign trade in roundwood and forest industry products are used in the preparation of the statistics on flows of wood material. Data about the forest industries’ spent liquors are obtained from Statistics Finland’s statistics on energy supply and consumption. Statistics on forest industry production, waste paper and board are generated by the Finnish Forest Industries Federation.

Statistics for compiling statistics on the mass balance and foreign trade in the forest sector are calculated using dry matter factors. The factors are based on previous studies and information obtained from specialists of Luke, Aalto University, Statistics Finland and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).