Raw wood prices
Wood is an important natural resource. It is renewable, climate-neutral, recyclable and suitable for use as an energy source. For this reason, it is important for wood to be harvested as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Decisive for the use of wood and timber are production costs and revenues - these also determine the economic sustainability of forest management. Prices depend on natural disasters or storms, the international markets and the current economic situation. Producers can do very little to influence them.
impossible to evaluate
impossible to evaluate
- Database
- BFS, Produzentenpreisindex Rohholz
Since the 2000s, the price of raw wood has experienced strong fluctuations. The Lothar storm at the end of 1999 had caused an excessive amount of wood available on the market, which had caused prices to fall.
From 2005, prices began to rise again, making forestry more attractive. Several factors explain this increase: the general scarcity and increase in the cost of raw materials, the increase in wood processing capacities in Switzerland, and a growing demand for energy wood.
However, the 2007-2008 real estate crisis, with its negative impact on the construction sector, led to a new decline in prices for sawnwood and industrial wood. These prices then slowly stabilized.
The coronavirus pandemic had a stimulating effect on the demand for wood. On one hand, construction timber was used more for home renovation and transformation projects. On the other hand, firewood experienced a revival as an energy source.
Since 2021, there has been a new increase in raw wood prices. This rise is mainly explained by population growth, which generates an increased need for housing, as well as a marked preference for Swiss wood and a trend towards more environmentally friendly construction methods (HIS 2023,Jahresbericht_2023_Holzindustrie_Schweiz_D.pdf).
Price statistics of the UNECE, FAO and Eurostat absolute prices are only comparable to a limited degree because customs, usages and definitions differ somewhat. However, the trends can be compared through indexation.
The data are obtained from a survey of cantonal forestry services. They are subject to the calculation of the index based on a weighted matrix.
Further information
