Commercial roundwood removals

Updated: 23 January 2024

Next update: 23 April 2024

Yearly change in timber prices
Yearly change in timber prices
2023
7.7
Commercial roundwood removals
Commercial roundwood removals
20232022 -2023
1000 cubic metresNOK per cubic metreChange cubic, per centPrice change, per cent
Total10 997546-4.57.7
Spruce
Saw logs4 508648-6.5-0.9
Pulpwood3 2624251.238.4
Unsorted saw logs328572-19.617.0
Pine
Saw logs1 480616-16.4-1.3
Pulpwood1 0473924.540.5
Unsorted saw logs74491-8.68.1
Broad-leaved
Saw logs351150.0-16.8
Pulpwood29350438.950.4
Unsorted saw logs..---
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Commercial removals of industrial roundwood, by species of tree and county. 1 000 m³
    Commercial removals of industrial roundwood, by species of tree and county. 1 000 m³
    2023
    SprucePineBroad-leaved
    Total8 0992 601297
    Oslo and Viken2 00175396
    Innlandet3 1671 149134
    Vestfold og Telemark (2020-2023)74423231
    Agder47528414
    Rogaland102281
    Vestland43235-
    Møre og Romsdal256192
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage6829115
    Nordland - Nordlánnda21634
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku (2020-2023)1161
    Explanation of symbols
  • Export and imports of roundwood. Cubic metres
    Export and imports of roundwood. Cubic metres
    ImportsExports
    2022202320222023
    Sawlogs, coniferous110 20897 0962 160 5881 980 622
    Pulpwood, coniferous227 174108 8191 957 2551 813 618
    Pulpwood, birch9 6591 017117 012138 399
    Other roundwood37 29622 38334 19342 645
    Explanation of symbols
  • Quarterly import and export of roundwood. Cubic metres
    Quarterly import and export of roundwood. Cubic metres
    ImportsExports
    4th quarter 20224th quarter 20234th quarter 20224th quarter 2023
    Sawlogs, coniferous20 49925 841571 739475 384
    Pulpwood, coniferous49 39324 232500 844464 627
    Pulpwood, birch0030 93840 163
    Other roundwood3 7813 7608 3565 943
    Explanation of symbols
  • Commercial roundwood removals, by species of tree and county. 1 000 m³
    Commercial roundwood removals, by species of tree and county. 1 000 m³
    Quantity removed for commercial purposes
    4th quarter 2023
    TotalSprucePineBroad-leaved
    The whole country2 7482 01167364
    Oslo and Viken70648619920
    Innlandet1 16082031030
    Vestfold og Telemark (2020-2023)236174584
    Agder177109654
    Rogaland171341
    Vestland1271252-
    Møre og Romsdal71673-
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage187155284
    Nordland - Nordlánnda6261-1
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku (2020-2023)624-
    Explanation of symbols
  • Fuelwood removals (roundwood). 1 000 m³
    Fuelwood removals (roundwood). 1 000 m³1
    20182019202020212022
    Fuelwood in total1 8991 6641 8482 1222 243
    Fuelwood broad-leaved1 2531 0981 2191 4011 480
    Fuelwood coniferous646566628721763
    1The wood fuel figures are estimates based on sample surveys on housholds consumption of fuel wood.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Average price on timber, by county. NOK per m3
    Average price on timber, by county. NOK per m3
    2022
    NOK/m³
    The whole country507
    Viken (2020-2023)512
    Oslo504
    Innlandet504
    Vestfold og Telemark (2020-2023)508
    Agder538
    Rogaland451
    Vestland485
    Møre og Romsdal535
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage504
    Nordland - Nordlánnda423
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku (2020-2023)278
    Explanation of symbols
  • Commercial roundwood removals
    Commercial roundwood removals
    4th quarter 20234th quarter 2022 -4th quarter 2023
    1000 cubic metresNOK per cubic metreChange cubic, per centPrice change, per cent
    Total2 7485831.910.2
    Spruce
    Saw logs1 1306884.64.7
    Pulpwood781452-1.122.5
    Unsorted saw logs100628-9.916.3
    Pine
    Saw logs3876541.03.3
    Pulpwood2704205.124.6
    Unsorted saw logs16534-15.85.7
    Broad-leaved
    Saw logs15540.00.9
    Pulpwood6350714.513.2
    Unsorted saw logs........
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The statistics comprise all commercial roundwood removal except wood fuel, and also show what average prices the forest owners obtain for different assortments.

Industrial roundwood

All commercial roundwood removal except wood for fuel.

Gross value of industrial wood

Value of the wood at the place of delivery to buyer (road, factory yard etc.). Roadside delivery make up the majority.

Assortments

  • Special timber includes poles, veneer logs, saw logs of veneer quality, and other timber of special high quality.
  • First class saw logs refer to saw logs classified as first class according to measurement regulations. From 2012 first class saw logs is an outgoing assortment.
  • Second class saw logs refer to saw logs classified as second class according to measurement regulations. From 2012 second class saw logs is a outgoing assortment.
  • Other saw logs comprise ordinary top-scaled and mid-scaled saw logs and other logs suitable for sawing, not measured in quality classes. From 2014, Other saw logs comprises all quantities of industrial saw logs.
  • Unsorted saw logs and pulpwood comprise timber measured in tree length, wood sold as stumpage and other unsorted roundwood containing both saw logs and pulpwood. First and second class of saw logs is outgoing. From 2012 the most of saw logs are included in Unsorted saw logs.
  • Pulpwood comprises roundwood generally used in the pulp industries and the fibreboard and particle board industries. Top-scaled timber (timber suitable for sawing) used in these industries is not included.
  • Other roundwood comprises roundwood used for manufacture of cases and casks, pitprops and mining timber, pilings, fence wood, posts etc.
  • Wood fuel refers to roundwood sold for fuel.

Buyer Groups (not in use from 2015)

  • Sawmills and wood industries comprise sawmills, manufacture of cases and casks, and prefabrication of wooden houses and wooden structures.
  • Pulp industries include the manufacture of mechanical and chemical pulp.
  • Fibre and particle board industries comprise wallboard and particle board production only.
  • Other Norwegian buyers comprise wood preserving industries, the manufacture of wood furniture and fixtures, charcoal, wood flour, wood wool, veneer and flooring, matches, ship and boat-building as well as all other buyers not included in other groups. Until 1998, wood for export was included.
  • Foreign buyers include sawmills, industry or other buyers outside Norway. These buyers were included in "Other buyers" until 1998.

Name: Commercial roundwood removals
Topic: Agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing

23 April 2024

Division for housing, property, spatial and agricultural statistics

Preliminary figures on volume and prices are given at county-level.

Final figures on volumes and gross value are given at municipality-level.

Frequency: Annually until 2007. From 2007 figures are published quarterly.

Actuality: Preliminary figures are published within 4 weeks and final figures within 22 weeks after the end of the registration period.

Annually report to

  • EUs statistical office (Eurostat)
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UNECE, FAO)

In the period 2007-2021 monthly report to the website Baltic Nordic roundwood prices.

Collected and revised data are stored securely by Statistics Norway in compliance with applicable legislation on data processing.

Statistics Norway can grant access to the source data (de-identified or anonymised microdata) on which the statistics are based, for researchers and public authorities for the purposes of preparing statistical results and analyses. Access can be granted upon application and subject to conditions. Refer to the details about this at Access to data from Statistics Norway.

The purpose of the statistics is to provide detailed information at municipal level on commercial roundwood removals.

The statistics date back to 1918/19, but annual figures at municipal level are available from the working year 1936/37. At that time, statistics only covered quantity cut distributed by industrial wood and wood fuel of coniferous and broad leaved species.

Since then the following changes have been made:

  • Buyer group was included from the working year 1962/63
  • Gross value was included from the working year 1965/66
  • The division of the assortments has varied over the course of time. The division used today was introduced in the working year 1970/71.
  • Seller group was included from the working year 1980/81
  • From 1996 the statistics follow the calendar year
  • From 2006 the statistics do not include figures on wood fuel
  • From 2006 average roundwood prices per cubic metre are provided
  • Byer group is no longer included from the calendar year 2015.

The statistics are used by public authorities, research and educational institutions, professional and industrial bodies, international organisations etc. The results are also used in the Aggregate account of forestry prepared by Statistics Norway.

No external users have access to statistics before they are released at 8 a.m. on ssb.no after at least three months’ advance notice in the release calendar. This is one of the most important principles in Statistics Norway for ensuring the equal treatment of users.

Final results are almost equal to preliminary results at county level and country level.

Some other public institutions publish roundwood removals statistics by account periode based on the Forest Trust Fund. Statistics Norway publishes the statistics by scaling periode.

The statistics are developed, produced and disseminated pursuant to Act no. 32 of 21 June 2019 relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway (the Statistics Act).

Not relevant

The statistics cover all industrial roundwood for sale. The wood registered is net removals excluding rot, unusable tops, etc. The quantity cut is given in cubic metres of solid wood inside bark by assortments, seller groups and buyer groups.

Until 1995/96, the statistics followed the working year (1 August-31 July). Since 1996, the figures have referred to calendar years.

Figures on wood fuel have not been included since 2006.

The figures are published quarterly and annually.

Until 31 December 1995, quantities cut for sale from private forests and municipal forests were reported by the municipal forest administration, and wood from common forests and State forests by their respective management. The reports were collected by the forest administration in each county and forwarded to Statistics Norway.

Since January 1996, the figures on industrial wood have been provided by the Norwegian Agriculture Agency through the Register of Timber Trade and Diverted Forest Trust Fund. The firm Skog-Data AS manages the register. The data in the register comes from the scaling of the timber sold. As from 2015 data are received from The Norwegian Agreculture Agency.

The figures on wood fuel have not been included since 2006. Before 2006, figures on wood fuel were estimated by the County Department of Agricultural Affairs.

All quantities of roundwood cut for sale during a calendar year are scaled and reported to Skog-Data AS.

Because of the changeover from one data source to another on 1 January 1996, the statistics for the working year 1995/96 are based on both the reports by the municipal forest administration and the Register of Timber Trade and Diverted Forest Trust Fund. Data for removals in the period 1 August to 31 December 1995 were reported on paper forms from the municipal forest administration and the management of common and State forests. Data for removals in the period 1 January to 31 July 1996 were collected electronically from Skog-Data AS. Since 1996, the data have been based on all scaled quantities of roundwood reported to Skog-Data AS. Quantities sold as stumpage are registered when the sales contract is signed.

As from 2015 the data is transferred from the Norwegian Agriculture Agency.

The data are checked in Statistics Norway with the focus on likely price level for each assortment. Corrections and additional payments that refer to another year are removed, if discovered.

Roundwood quantity and gross margin are summarised per municipality, assortment, and seller group. The average price per assortment is then estimated.

Not relevant

Employees of Statistics Norway have a duty of confidentiality.

Statistics Norway does not publish figures if there is a risk of the respondent’s contribution being identified. This means that, as a general rule, figures are not published if fewer than three units form the basis of a cell in a table or if the contribution of one or two respondents constitutes a very large part of the cell total.

Statistics Norway can make exceptions to the general rule if deemed necessary to meet the requirements of the EEA agreement, if the respondent is a public authority, if the respondent has consented to this, or when the information disclosed is openly accessible to the public.

More information can be found on Statistics Norway’s website under Methods in official statistics, in the ‘Confidentiality’ section.

The breaks in the time series are explained in chapter 2.1.

The statistics on industrial roundwood removals are thought to be quite accurate at county level. Sources of errors are corrections and additional payments registered with insufficient information.

The quantities given in the assortment "Unsorted saw logs and pulpwood" are probably too high. This is due to the fact that some of the roundwood removals are reported on paper forms where assortments are not specified. These removals are all registered as "Unsorted saw logs and pulpwood". Wood sold as stumpage is included in "Unsorted saw logs and pulpwood". Wood sold as stumpage may be harvested another year than it is sold. Since 1996, the gross value of this wood has excluded costs for cutting and hauling. These two circumstances explain the varying average prices for this assortment.

Preliminary figures are overwritten by final figures.

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