German European Forest Accounts 2017 published

In the European Forest Accounts (EFA), the resource forest and its product wood, from its area to physical stock, its value and uses, up to the processing of the wood in the timber industry, is presented for Germany. Since 2006, the EFA has been calculated by the Thünen Institute of International Forestry and Forest Economics (TI-WF) on behalf of the German Federal Statistical Office (StBA). The results of the EFA are reported annually by StBA to EUROSTAT. They form the basis for reporting in the environmental-economic accounts and are also used for the national accounts.

For the year 2017, a forest area of 11.42 million ha was calculated. In total, the afforestation areas exceeded the forest area conversions, resulting in a slight increase of forest area (0.1 %) in Germany in 2017. The areas that were completely taken out of use in 2017 (forest set-aside areas) decreased significantly compared to the previous year. Thus, the forest area that can be used for forestry production only experienced a slight decline in 2017.

In 2017, the German forest area was stocked with around 3.8 billion m³ of wood. Compared to the previous year, the total timber stock continued to rise by around 0.5 %, while timber withdrawals were slightly down at -0.9 % compared to the previous year. The value of wood was estimated at around € 122 billion.

The gross production value of forestry was calculated at 8.5 billion euros in 2017. Intermediate inputs in 2017 totaled 5.3 billion euros (+2.4% compared with the previous year). The gross value added amounted to EUR 3.2 billion and net entrepreneurial income to EUR 1.7 billion. Compared with the 2016 reporting year, the gross production value in 2017 declined slightly (-0.7 %). This is explained by a slight decline in timber prices and an increased expenditure on inputs and the compensation of employees.