While a single plank of wood might seem humble, the industry behind it is a $1.2 trillion global giant supporting millions of jobs and shaping economies worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, global sawnwood production reached 543 million cubic meters
- The United States produced 77 million cubic meters of sawnwood in 2021
- Canada's wood pulp production was 17.5 million tonnes in 2022
- The global wood industry market size was valued at $1.2 trillion in 2022
- US wood products market revenue reached $250 billion in 2022
- Europe's wood industry generated €380 billion in turnover in 2022
- Global wood industry employed 4.5 million people directly in 2022
- US forestry and logging employed 850,000 workers in 2022
- Canada's wood manufacturing sector had 240,000 jobs in 2022
- Global wood industry harvested 4 billion cubic meters sustainably in 2022
- US forests sequestered 800 million tonnes CO2 equivalent annually
- 94% of EU roundwood production certified sustainable in 2022
- Global sawnwood trade volume was 130 million cubic meters in 2022
- US wood products exports reached $50 billion in 2022
- Canada's softwood lumber exports to US were 25 million cubic meters in 2022
Global wood industry is a trillion-dollar sector producing vital materials with increasing sustainability and strong international trade.
Employment Statistics
- Global wood industry employed 4.5 million people directly in 2022
- US forestry and logging employed 850,000 workers in 2022
- Canada's wood manufacturing sector had 240,000 jobs in 2022
- EU wood industry provided 3.7 million jobs in 2022
- China employed 4 million in wood processing in 2022
- Brazil's wood sector jobs totaled 1.2 million in 2022
- Sweden's forest industry employed 75,000 people in 2022
- India's wood industry workforce was 5 million in 2021
- Finland had 35,000 direct forest industry jobs in 2022
- Russia's forestry employment stood at 900,000 in 2021
- New Zealand wood industry employed 35,000 in 2022
- Germany's wood sector had 450,000 jobs in 2022
- Indonesia's wood processing employed 700,000 in 2022
- Vietnam wood industry jobs reached 500,000 in 2022
- Poland employed 250,000 in wood products in 2022
- South Africa forestry sector had 170,000 jobs in 2022
- Japan's wood industry employed 100,000 in 2022
- Chile's wood sector workforce was 120,000 in 2022
- Latvia wood industry employed 50,000 in 2022
- Malaysia timber industry jobs totaled 450,000 in 2022
- Turkey's wood panel sector employed 200,000 in 2022
- Belgium wood industry had 30,000 jobs in 2022
- France employed 450,000 in wood supply chain in 2022
- Austria's wood industry jobs reached 65,000 in 2022
Employment Statistics Interpretation
The world's reliance on wood proves that, despite our digital age, our economies and livelihoods are still firmly nailed together by the humble tree.
Environmental Impact
- Global wood industry harvested 4 billion cubic meters sustainably in 2022
- US forests sequestered 800 million tonnes CO2 equivalent annually
- 94% of EU roundwood production certified sustainable in 2022
- Canada's managed forests grew 1% more than harvested in 2022
- Brazil planted 500,000 hectares of trees for industry in 2022
- Sweden's forests increased by 1.5 million cubic meters net annually
- FSC certified wood volume globally reached 500 million cubic meters in 2022
- Finland recycled 70% of wood waste in industry in 2022
- China's reforestation covered 5 million hectares in 2021-2022
- Global wood products stored 10 billion tonnes of carbon in 2022
- US wood energy displaced 50 million tonnes CO2 in 2022
- New Zealand 90% production from sustainable plantations
- Germany's forest cover increased to 33% of land in 2022
- Indonesia committed to zero deforestation by 2030 with monitoring
- Vietnam's plantation forests supplied 60% wood in 2022
- Poland's certified forests cover 40% in 2022
- South Africa's plantations on 1.3 million hectares sustainable
- Japan's wood use from domestic thinnings 70% in 2022
- Chile's plantations sequester 20 million tonnes CO2 yearly
- Latvia recycled 80% wood residues in 2022
- Malaysia's planted forests cover 6 million hectares
- Turkey's afforestation added 200,000 hectares in 2022
- Belgium's forests certified PEFC 85% in 2022
- France's wood energy saved 10 million tonnes CO2 in 2022
Environmental Impact Interpretation
While the world often sees the wood industry as a villain, these numbers reveal a global cast of responsible foresters quietly running a massive, multi-continent carbon capture and storage operation, complete with recycling programs and renewable energy on the side.
Market Size and Value
- The global wood industry market size was valued at $1.2 trillion in 2022
- US wood products market revenue reached $250 billion in 2022
- Europe's wood industry generated €380 billion in turnover in 2022
- China's wood furniture market was worth $100 billion in 2022
- Global engineered wood market size hit $30 billion in 2023 projection
- Canadian forest products industry revenue was CAD 120 billion in 2022
- Brazil's wood industry contributed BRL 80 billion to GDP in 2022
- Swedish wood industry turnover reached SEK 250 billion in 2022
- India's wood products market size was $25 billion in 2022
- Global wood pellet market valued at $12 billion in 2022
- US lumber market size stood at $100 billion in 2022
- New Zealand wood exports revenue was NZD 7 billion in 2022
- Germany's wood processing industry revenue hit €50 billion in 2022
- Indonesia's pulp and paper market was $15 billion in 2022
- Finnish forest industry sales totaled €20 billion in 2022
- Vietnam wood products export value reached $15 billion in 2022
- Poland's wood industry revenue was PLN 100 billion in 2022
- South Africa's forestry sector GDP contribution was ZAR 80 billion in 2022
- Japan's wood import market size was ¥5 trillion in 2022
- Chile's wood products exports generated $6 billion in 2022
- Latvia's wood processing turnover hit €3 billion in 2022
- Malaysia's timber industry revenue was MYR 60 billion in 2022
- Turkey wood panel market valued at $10 billion in 2022
- Belgium's wood industry sales reached €15 billion in 2022
- France's wood market size was €60 billion in 2022
Market Size and Value Interpretation
The global wood industry, valued in trillions and spanning continents from Europe's towering turnovers to America's robust revenues, proves that while money may not grow on trees, a staggering amount of it is certainly made from them.
Production Statistics
- In 2022, global sawnwood production reached 543 million cubic meters
- The United States produced 77 million cubic meters of sawnwood in 2021
- Canada's wood pulp production was 17.5 million tonnes in 2022
- EU-27 sawn softwood production hit 100 million cubic meters in 2022
- Russia's industrial roundwood production stood at 300 million cubic meters in 2021
- Brazil's plywood production reached 4.2 million cubic meters in 2022
- Sweden produced 18 million cubic meters of sawnwood in 2022
- China's particleboard production was 120 million cubic meters in 2022
- Finland's wood pellet production amounted to 3.5 million tonnes in 2022
- India's hardwood sawlogs production was 25 million cubic meters in 2021
- Global wood pellet production exceeded 60 million tonnes in 2022
- US engineered wood products output was 25 billion square feet in 2022
- New Zealand's radiata pine sawnwood production reached 3.2 million cubic meters in 2022
- Germany's hardwood log production was 5 million cubic meters in 2021
- Indonesia's pulp production hit 12 million tonnes in 2022
- Austria's sawnwood production totaled 8.5 million cubic meters in 2022
- Vietnam's wood panel production was 40 million cubic meters in 2022
- Poland's particleboard output reached 9 million cubic meters in 2022
- South Africa's pine sawlogs production was 4.8 million cubic meters in 2021
- Japan's paper and paperboard production stood at 25 million tonnes in 2022
- Chile's radiata pine pulpwood production was 20 million cubic meters in 2022
- Latvia's sawnwood exports production hit 12 million cubic meters in 2022
- Malaysia's plywood production reached 10 million cubic meters in 2022
- Ukraine's wood fuel production was 6 million cubic meters in 2021
- Norway's industrial roundwood production totaled 12 million cubic meters in 2022
- Turkey's particleboard production was 7.5 million cubic meters in 2022
- Belgium's wood-based panel production hit 5.2 million cubic meters in 2022
- Global veneer production exceeded 15 million cubic meters in 2022
- France's sawnwood production was 11 million cubic meters in 2022
Production Statistics Interpretation
While the planet may be turning digital, these figures prove the world still runs on good old-fashioned wood, with forests from North America to Scandinavia quietly keeping civilization afloat one board and beam at a time.
Trade Statistics
- Global sawnwood trade volume was 130 million cubic meters in 2022
- US wood products exports reached $50 billion in 2022
- Canada's softwood lumber exports to US were 25 million cubic meters in 2022
- EU imported 50 million cubic meters roundwood in 2022
- China's wood imports totaled 60 million cubic meters in 2022
- Brazil exported $10 billion wood products in 2022
- Sweden's wood exports value hit €15 billion in 2022
- Russia's sawnwood exports dropped to 20 million cubic meters in 2022
- India's wood imports were $2 billion in 2022
- Finland exported €10 billion forest products in 2022
- Global plywood trade reached 40 million cubic meters in 2022
- US imported 30 million cubic meters lumber in 2022
- New Zealand exported 3 million cubic meters logs to China in 2022
- Germany's wood exports were €20 billion in 2022
- Indonesia exported $13 billion wood products in 2022
- Vietnam's furniture exports hit $14 billion in 2022
- Poland exported 5 million cubic meters sawnwood in 2022
- South Africa's wood exports totaled $2 billion in 2022
- Japan's wood imports from Russia were 10 million cubic meters in 2022
- Chile exported 5 million tonnes pulp in 2022
- Latvia's sawnwood exports reached 10 million cubic meters in 2022
- Malaysia exported $10 billion timber products in 2022
- Turkey imported 4 million cubic meters logs in 2022
- Belgium exported €5 billion wood products in 2022
- France's wood exports were €12 billion in 2022
Trade Statistics Interpretation
This global trade map reveals a surprisingly cutthroat world where some nations are building empires from timber, others are frantically importing it to keep their own empires running, and everyone is eyeing each other's forests with a mix of ambition, necessity, and a healthy dose of sawdust.
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