The most forested country in Europe
- Forest land totals some 20 million hectares, that is, four hectares to every Finn. The European average is 1.4 hectares.
- Over 60 per cent of the forests are in private ownership. The holdings are typically small, and if joint ownership is included, there are nearly one million forest owners in Finland, that is, one in five.
- The state owns about a third of the forests.
- The forest industries are one of the mainstays of the Finnish economy, with an annual turnover of some 20 billion euros. They account for over 30 per cent of the net export income.
- Since the early 1950’s, the annual growth of the forests has increased by 57 per cent and the total growing stock by 37 per cent. The surplus is growing; during the 9th NFI (1996-2003), the average annual drain was 80 per cent of the annual growth.
- Finnish forests are predominantly coniferous, with Scots pine accounting for 47 per cent and Norway spruce for 34 per cent of the growing stock. Birch is the predominant broadleaved species, with a share of 15 per cent of the growing stock.
