Economic Accounts for Forestry

The total output value of the forestry industry reached about €2.4 bn, of which the goods characteristic of the forestry and logging activity (comprising live forest tree plants, forest trees, sawlogs, industrial roundwood and raw timber for energetic use) accounted for about 85.9% and other goods and services (forestry services, inseparable secondary activities and other products) for about 14.1%. With a timber harvest volume of 19.2 million cubic metres under bark (+8.8%; cf. Austrian Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism (2019): Annual timber felling report 2018) and in general declining timber prices the output value of goods characteristic of the forestry and logging activity rose by 2.8% to about €2.1 bn. This increase was due to the higher output values of sawlogs (+6.3%), industrial roundwood (+12.2%) and raw timber for energetic use (+4.7%). The output value of sawlogs amounted to a total of €0.9 bn, the output value of industrial roundwood to a total of €0.1 bn and the output value of raw timber for energetic use to a total of about €0.3 bn. The output value of live forest trees (net increment of timber) amounted to €0.7 bn, with a decline of 3.3% compared to 2017. Services characteristic of the forestry and logging activity, which accounted for 11.3% of the value of the forestry industry’s output, increased by 8.6% compared to 2017. The output value of non-forestry secondary activities (inseparable), with a share of 2.3%, declined (-7.6%). Other products, which accounted for 0.5% of the value of the forestry industry’s output, decreased as well (-9.1%).

On the cost side, the value of intermediate consumption rose by 6.1% to €1.3 bn. Fixed capital consumption amounted to €0.2 bn (-0.4%).

As a consequence, gross value added at basic prices (calculated from the output of the forestry industry minus intermediate consumption) declined by 0.4%. The decrease in net value added at basic prices, i.e. after deduction of fixed capital consumption, was 0.4%. Factor income increased slightly (+0.4%), whereas net entrepreneurial income decreased by 0.7%.

Methodology

The Economic Accounts for Forestry represent a satellite account of the System of Integrated Economic Accounts. Their main purpose is to analyse the production process in forestry and the primary income generated therein. The EAF were set up in Austria in 2001, in accordance with the requirements of Eurostat Handbook for Economic Accounts for Agriculture and Forestry EEA/EAF 97 (Rev.1.1). In 2019 the economic accounts of forestry were revised completely and the methodology according to the European Forest Accounts (EFA questionnaire, table B.1. on economic indicators of the forestry and logging activity) was adopted. Further information can be found in the methodological notes on EAF (in German only).

The EAF results presented here are based on the database available at the beginning of July 2019. Since for several data the latest information is not available, the results for 2018 are still provisional.

Regional Accounts for Forestry (Regional EAF) at NUTS 2 level - Results for the Länder (federal provinces) for 2018

The main producers of forestry output in Austria are Styria, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Carinthia. In 2018, 25.4% of the total output value of the forestry industry of about €2.4 bn was generated in Styria and 25.2% in Lower Austria. Upper Austria contributed 15.9% and Carinthia 15.0%. Tyrol accounted for 6.9%, Salzburg for 5.7%, Burgenland for 3.5%, Vorarlberg for 2.2% and Vienna for 0.2%.

In comparison with the previous year, the value of the forestry industry’s output declined in four federal provinces (Tyrol: -11.7%; Burgenland: -11.4%; Salzburg: -7.7% and Carinthia: -1.2%). On the other hand, Lower Austria (+15.8%), Vorarlberg (+15.0%), Vienna (+8.8%), Upper Austria (+6.8%) and Styria (+1.2%) recorded increases.

Gross value added of the forestry industry increased in Lower Austria (+7.5%), Vorarlberg (+7.3%) and Upper Austria (+3.4%). Tyrol (-9.8%), Vienna (-9.3%), Salzburg (-9.0%), Burgenland (-5.0%), Carinthia (-3.1%) and Styria (-3.0%) faced a decline compared to 2017.

Methodology

In addition to the Economic Accounts for Forestry (EAF) for Austria, the Regional Accounts for Forestry provide data on the economic situation in forestry at the level of the Länder (federal provinces). They highlight regional disparities, and provide data on the contribution made by the individual federal provinces to the total output value and value added of domestic forestry.

Data of the Regional Accounts for Forestry for a reference year (n) are published in October of the year n+1. The current data for 2018 for the federal provinces are provisional. They are consistent with the EAF revision status as at July 2019.