Total roundwood removals and drain by region 2022

Data corrected on 3.10.2024

Read more on the page Changes and corrections in the statistics.​

Last year, Finland’s stemwood removals totalled 75 million cubic metres, of which industrial roundwood accounted for 86% and energywood 14%. Total drain was 90 million cubic metres. Roundwood removals and total drain were 2% smaller than in the year before, while still being the third highest in the history of the statistics.

Roundwood removals

• In 2022, stemwood removals totalled 75.1 million cubic metres. The volume decreased by 2% from the previous year, while still being 2% higher than the previous five years’ average.
• Of the total roundwood removals, 64.3 million cubic metres, or 86%, consisted of logs and pulpwood. The majority of stemwood were harvested in commercial felling for industrial uses or exports, in addition to which 0.3 million cubic metres were felled for the private needs of forest owners. Log removals decreased by 1% and pulpwood removals by 4% from the previous year.
• The remaining 10.8 million cubic metres consisted of energywood, i.e. stemwood to be used as forest chips at heat and power plants or as fuelwood in small-scale housing. The volume of pruned and unpruned stems harvested for use as forest chips increased by 14% from the previous year to 4.4 million cubic metres. Data about the volume of fuelwood used in small-scale housing (6.5 million cubic metres) concern the 2016/2017 heating season.
• In addition, 2.6 million cubic metres of logging residues and stumps were also harvested from forests for burning. This volume is not included in total roundwood removals.

Use of the estimated felling potential

• According to Luke’s estimate, the maximum sustainable yield of commercial timber and energywood is on average 80.5 million cubic metres of stemwood per year during the period of 2016–2025. Since 2016, Finland’s felling volumes have ranged annually between 86% and 97%, covering an average of 91% of the estimated felling potential. In Northern Finland in the three northernmost regions, 76% of the estimated level has been used. In other parts of Finland, felling volumes have been significantly higher, covering 96% of the felling potential.
• Average removals between 2016 and 2021 exceeded the maximum sustainable yield in six regions. This level was exceeded by 13% in South Karelia and by 6% in Kymenlaakso. In the regions of Kanta-Häme, Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme and Southern Savonia, the excess was between 3% and 4%.
• In 2022, a total of 98 per cent of the felling potential was used in the regions to the south of Northern Finland. In addition to the aforementioned six regions, felling volumes were also higher than the estimated felling potential in Satakunta and Northern Savonia.

For the use of the felling potential by region, see the map.

Total drain

• Total drain decreased by 2% from the previous year to 89.5 million cubic metres. In addition to stemwood felled for use, total drain included 8 million cubic metres of logging residues stemwood and 6 million cubic metres of naturally died stemwood left in forests.
• The annual increment of the growing stock totalled 103 million cubic metres on the basis of the National Forest Inventory. This means that the total volume of growing stock increased by more than 14 million cubic metres.

For total drain and felling volumes, see the graph.

Read the media release.

Changes in the statistics

New calculation principles for natural drain and waste wood based on the data of the 12th National Forest Inventory measured in 2014–2018 were adopted in the calculation of total drain in 2022. At the same time, data for 2017–2021 were revised, as the new calculation principles apply to these years better than the previous ones. The change reduced total drain by an average of 0.4% during the period.