The Forestry Commission released the Provisional Woodland Statistics and Key Performance Indicators today, covering 2024-25.

Please see statements from Nature Minister Mary Creagh and Forestry Commission Chair Sir William Worsley below.

Forestry Commission Chair Sir William Worsley said:

"We are making considerable progress in increasing rates of tree-planting in England thanks to government investment and a significant amount of work alongside our partners and stakeholders across the country, including farmers and land managers.

"We currently import 80% of the timber we use, and supporting domestic timber production and tree nurseries will be vital to drive up tree-planting rates further as well as creating productive woodlands, caring for the woodlands we already have and further work with farmers to show that tree planting schemes can go hand-in-hand with food production."

Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:

"With this Government, tree planting rates are now at the highest level in over 20 years. 

"We rapidly established a new Tree Planting Taskforce, announced the first of three new national forests and these figures show we are making good progress.

"There is much more to do – that is why we are investing over £800 million to plant trees across the country as part of our Plan for Change." 

Defra background briefing:

• The Provisional Woodland Statistics for 2024-25 released today set out area of woodland across the UK – now estimated to be 3.29 million hectares, including 1.34 million hectares in England, certified woodland and planting for the last financial year.
• The Forestry Commission's Key Performance Indicators set out a 29% increase in the total area of tree and woodland canopy established, with 7,164 hectares planted: 5,765 hectares of woodland creation and 1,399 hectares of trees outside woodland.
• The government is working towards our Environment Act targets, including to halt decline of species abundance by 2030 and to reach 16.5% tree canopy cover in England by 2050.
• As part of our Plan for Change, we have committed to the largest investment into nature in history, with over £7 billion directed into nature's recovery. This includes £816 million in tree planting and £85 million for peatland restoration.
• We're creating three new national forests to bring trees closer to where we all live and work. In March 2025, we announced the creation of the first new national forest in over 30 years: the 'Western Forest' will see 20 million trees planted across the West of England over the coming years.
• We have launched a Tree Planting Taskforce to support our plans to plant millions more trees.

On the Provisional Woodland Statistics and Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators

New tree planting and area

• 7,164 hectares of new tree planting was undertaken in England (10.4 million trees) in 2024-25, a 29% increase on 2023-24 figures.
• Of this, 5,765 hectares (9.5 million trees) was in the form of woodland creation. Woodland creation rates were the highest since 2003-04 and were 27% higher than in 2023-24, and 156% those achieved in 2021- 22.
• 95% of total woodland creation (5,450 hectares) were government supported, with Community Forests and the England Woodland Creation Offer delivering over 2,000 hectares each.
• 88% of new planting of woodland in England was broadleaf (5,085 hectares), with the remaining 12% conifer (681 hectares).
• In addition, 1,399 hectares (888,000 trees) were planted outside woodland, of which 1,345 ha were government supported (96%).
• The total area of woodland in England increased to 1,345 million hectares or 10.3% of land area.
• At the UK level, the area of woodland in the UK at 31 March 2024 is estimated to be 3.28 million hectares or 13.5% of land area. New planting of woodland decreased in the UK from 20,660ha in 2023-24 to 15,690ha in 2024-25 due to new woodland creation in Scotland reducing from 15,040ha to 8,470ha.

Other statistics and indicators

• 57% of all woodland in England was considered sustainably managed, with little change in this figure over the previous 10 years.
• In the ten-year period between 2015-24, three tree pests and diseases became established in England.
• In 2024-25, 99.8% of known tree felling in England was carried with Forestry Commission approval.
• In 2023, 8.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent sequestered by woodland England, equivalent to 2.2% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions for 2023, or 18.1% of agricultural emissions.
• The natural capital asset value of England's forests and woodlands was £276 billion in 2022 (at 2023 prices).