Forestry Production and Trade: Annual Global Data (1961-2024)

This extensive dataset contains annual figures for the forestry sector, covering over 200 countries and territories. It includes metrics for production, import quantity, import value, export quantity, and export value across hundreds of wood-based commodities such as roundwood, wood fuel, sawlogs, pulp, and various paper products. The data follows the FAOSTAT classification system for forest products.

Data Quality

The dataset is remarkably comprehensive for the latter half of the time series (2000-2024). Early data (1960s-1980s) has higher levels of missingness as national reporting systems were less developed. The use of standardized Item Codes and Element Codes ensures high internal consistency and allows for reliable aggregation into regional and global totals.

Use Cases

Analyzing global timber trade flows, studying the economic importance of forest resources, monitoring trends in wood fuel consumption for energy policy, and assessing the impact of deforestation or reforestation on wood production capacity.

Limitations

Significant missing data in the early decades (1961-1990). 'Production' values in some developing regions may be based on estimates where formal tracking is absent. Values are typically nominal (not adjusted for inflation) when dealing with import/export values in USD.

Methodology

Data is primarily collected through the Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire (JFSQ), a collaborative effort between FAO, ITTO, UNECE, and Eurostat. National correspondents provide official statistics, which are then validated and occasionally supplemented with FAO estimates to fill gaps.