Documentation of statistics stumpage earnings

Data description

The statistics show estimated annual stumpage earnings based on roundwood removals and stumpage prices by region, forest ownership category and roundwood assortment. The statistics are published in the Statistics service of the Natural Resources Institute Finland Stumpage earnings | Natural Resources Institute Finland (luke.fi). Gross stumpage earnings have been recorded since 1958, and statistics are available in the database from 2002.

Classification system

The information is given by region, forest ownership category and roundwood assortment. In 2002–2014 the regions included the regional districts of the Finnish Forest Centre (13) and the Province of Aland. Since 2015 the regions include counties (19). Forest ownership categories are: Non-industrial, private forests; and Forest industries and the State. Non-industrial private forests also included forests owned by municipalities or parishes, and until 2008 those state-owned forests that were not managed by Metsähallitus. Forest industries include enterprises that forestry enterprises are shareholders of. In the Non-industrial, private forests -category income has also been categorised by income from standing or delivery sales and by the value of wood for household use.

Sector coverage

The statistics are based on other statistics, which cover nearly all commercial fellings in Finland and over 90% of wood trade.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Forest ownership categories: 

Non-industrial private forests = ordinary non-industrial private forest owners (natural persons, estates of deceased persons, and enterprises), as well as jointly owned forests and forests owned by municipalities, parishes, foundations and other similar communities or enterprises outside the forest industry. Until 2008, non-industrial private forests also included those state-owned forests that were not managed by Metsähallitus.

Forest industries = Forest industry companies that own forest properties. Companies engaged in the forest industry also include those that do not practice forest industry themselves but have timber trading as an essential line of business.

The state = State-owned wood production forests managed by Metsähallitus.  Starting from 2008, data concerning forest industry companies and Metsähallitus has been combined for data protection reasons.

Regions = In 2002–2014, regions referred to the 13 districts of the Finnish Forest Centre, Public Services, and Province of Aland, and since 2015, the term has referred to the counties of Finland.

Roundwood assortments = pine, spruce and birch logs; pine, spruce and birch pulpwood; and fuelwood and energy wood.

Standing sales = In standing sales, the seller authorises the buyer to harvest wood from a predetermined area in their forest. The pricing is based on standing sales prices, i.e. stumpage prices.

Delivery sales = In delivery sales, the seller is responsible for felling and transporting the wood to a location along a long-distance delivery route. Pricing is based on roadside prices.

Statistical unit

The following statistics published by the Natural Resources Institute Finland are used as sources of information: Volumes and prices in roundwood trade, Volumes and prices in energy wood trade, Commercial fellings, Wood consumption in small-scale housing, and Roundwood removals and drain of the growing stock.

Statistical population

The statistics only use data from other statistics.

Unit of measure

Information is given in millions and billions of Euros. Unit prices are recorded in the statistical database at the fair prices valid each time. However, price changes are examined in the texts and graphs in real terms by eliminating the change in value using the cost-of-living index (1951:10=100). Before May 2024, the wholesale price index was used in this calculation.

Reference period

Calendar year

Reference area

Hole country and until 2014, by regional districts of the Finnish Forest Centre and Province of Aland. Since 2015, by counties of Finland.

Time coverage

The time series by forest ownership category begin in 1958 (Until 2008, forestry industries and the state were their own categories). The time series by region of forestry board districts begin in 1985 (1985–1995 forestry boar districts, 1996–2014 by regional districts of the Finnish Forest Centre). Since 2015, the statistics are published by county. The time series by roundwood assortment begin in 2002.

Frequency of disseminations

Both preliminary and final information is published yearly.

Base period

The statistics are not an index.

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

Quality assurance

The Natural Resources Institute Finland follows the Code of Practice and the Quality Assurance Framework of European statistics when compiling statistics. The Code of Practice concern the independence and accountability of statistics authorities, and the quality of processes and published data. The principles are compatible with and supplement the Principles of Official Statistics, agreed upon by the United Nations Statistical Commission. The quality criteria of official statistics in Finland are also compatible with the Code of Practice of European statistics. The principles are also compatible with the European Foundation for Quality Management.

Quality assurance on the statistics was performed in the spring of 2020.

Quality assessment

The quality of the statistics matches the quality of statistics used as data sources.

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.

Accuracy and reliability in general

As a result of the calculation method of gross stumpage earning:

• Prices and harvesting volumes of timber assortments are not fully comparable due to the delay between harvesting and trade of wood. Changes to felling volumes and wood prices due to economic fluctuations decrease the accuracy of calculations.
• The stumpage earnings of delivery sales are overestimated because their true standing sales prices (purchase price - felling costs) are lower than the prices of standing sales, especially in terms of logs.
• The use of only the prices of logwood and pulpwood for special timber assortments results in slight underestimation of stumpage earnings. The prices of small-diameter logs, pillars, and special stumps of birches are higher than the prices of comparable log and pulpwood assortments.
• The stumpage earnings of the Forest industries and the state are most likely underestimated because, due to benefits of mass production, the true standing sales prices may be higher than the prices of private forests.

Data collected is always compared to the numbers of the previous year. This is done to try to prevent the collection of faulty data.

Sampling error

Data is not collected for the statistics.

Timeliness

Final data on statistics on Gross stumpage earnings by forest ownership category and roundwood assortment is published in May or June. Final data on statistics on Gross and net stumpage earnings by ownership category is published in September or October. Release schedule is determined by the release date of the statistics used as data sources.

Geographical comparability

The statistics are geographically comparable.

Comparability - over time

The gross stumpage earnings calculated yearly for the whole of Finland by ownership group have been calculated using the same principals since the beginning of the time series (1958). Earnings by the Forestry Board Districks are comparable between 1984 and 1995, and earnings by regional districts of the Finnish Forest Centre are comparable between 1996 and 2014. Since 2015, income has been published by county. Since 2008, stumpage earnings from energy wood provided to energy companies have been included in gross stumpage earnings.

Coherence - cross domain

Gross stumpage earnings are not comparable with the wood sales income of forest taxation or with any other material in which the gross earnings include compensation for wood harvesting. Gross stumpage earnings are presented by the area in which sales were made, whereas data based on taxation is given by the place of residence of the forest owner.

Coherence with National Accounts

Information is used for National Accounts.

Coherence - internal

The data in the statistics is coherent. The statistics are the only statistics regarding stumpage earnings.

Source data

The following statistics published by the Natural Resources Institute Finland are used as sources of information:

• Standing sales prices: Volumes and prices in roundwood trade, Volumes and prices in energywood trade
• Roundwood removals: Industrial roundwood removals by forest ownership category and region, Harvesting volumes of energy wood per region, Wood consumption in small-scale housing, and Roundwood removals and drain of the growing stock
• Investments on wood production: Operating profit in non-industrial private forestry and Silvicultural and forest improvement work

Frequency of data collection

No data collection

Data validation

Results are compared to results from previous years.

Data compilation

Gross stumpage earnings are calculated by multiplying the annual average felling volumes (by timber assortment) by the corresponding standing sales prices (until 2014, the regional districts of the Finnish Forest Centre and the Province of Aland. Since 2015, by counties of Finland). The standing sales prices of firewood are 90% of the standing sales prices of birch pulpwood. Statistics are compiled by forest ownership category and by timber assortment. The earnings of private forests are given separately by wood sales income from standing and delivery sales, and by the value of wood for household use.