FAO statistics cover 77 product categories, 27 product groups and more than 245 countries and territories. The report presents recent trends in data for trade and for each of the major forest product groups.
What are the main trends?
According to FAO, global international trade in wood and paper products regained momentum, with modest growth recorded in most major product groups.
- The rebound comes after an overall 14 percent drop in trade in wood and paper products in 2023.
- Industrial roundwood removals, referring to the total volume of wood extracted for non-energy uses, increased by two percent in 2024, although its global trade decreased by one percent.
- Global production of sawn lumber, such as planks, beams, and other manufactured wood products, remained almost unchanged but varied regionally. Sawn timber trade was unchanged overall compared to 2023.
- Wood-based panels grew for the second consecutive year. Global production increased by 5 percent.
- Wood pulp production rose three percent to 189 million tonnes, while international trade expanded two percent to a record high of 73 million tonnes.
- Wood pellets have seen extraordinary growth in recent decades, driven primarily by bioenergy goals in Europe, the Republic of Korea and Japan. After a slight drop in 2023, global production returned to 48 million tonnes in 2024, equal to the 2022 level.
Why is it important
Different types of trees can be used for housing, shelter, heating, food, medicine and even textiles or buildings.
“Forests support millions of livelihoods around the world, and that number will increase as forests offer more economic opportunities in an increasing range of industries, including sustainable wood production,” said FAO Director-General Dongyu Qu.
Promoting the sustainable use of forests is also part of Sustainable Development Goal 15, a vision that countries have agreed upon.
When used sustainably, forests support life. Another recently published FAO report assessing forest resources showed that net loss of forest area has more than halved since the 1990s and that more than 90 percent of forests are regenerating naturally.