Data, statistics, and surveys on NZ forests

Update – 20 March 2026

Collection of the National Exotic Forest Description (NEFD) is changing

The NEFD is the main source of facts about New Zealand’s exotic production forests. It helps us make informed decisions about the future and has been published every year since 1985.

MPI has started a programme to improve how we gather information and report on New Zealand’s exotic forest estate.

The 2025 NEFD report and data from previous years are below in the National Exotic Forest Description 2025 box.

Quick Facts

Updated December 2025

New Zealand’s net stocked planted production forest covered an estimated 1.82 million hectares as at 1 April 2025.

The total planted forest standing volume was estimated to be 572 million cubic meters, with an average forest standing age (area weight) of 18.8 years.

The total new planting estimate for the year ending 31 December 2024 is 59,000 hectares.

Radiata pine is the dominant species in New Zealand.

NZ forest surveys, statistics, and reports

The National Exotic Forest Description (NEFD) regional yield tables give the forest industry and MPI data used to produce wood availability forecasts.

New Zealand's major forest owners and managers provided information for the yield tables which are part of the National Exotic Forest Description (NEFD) database.

The yield tables are a representation of forest yield in cubic metres per hectare (m³/ha). The yield table is expressed in total recoverable volume (TRV), and volumes of 3 generic log types, together with any production thinning volumes by age (11 to 40 years for radiata pine, and 11 to 60 years for Douglas fir). Yields are for all forest sizes, except for Canterbury where they are split into large-scale (1,000 hectares (ha) and above) and small-scale (under 1,000 ha) forest. There is a separate yield table for each tending regime.

Tending regimes

Radiata pine has 4 tending regimes:

Radiata pine tending regime	R
Pruned without production thinning	I
Unpruned without production thinning	M
Pruned with production thinning	T
Unpruned with production thinning	Z

Douglas-fir forest has 2 tending regimes:

Douglas-fir tending regime	D
Without production thinning	M
With production thinning	Z

For each crop type and regime, contributors were asked to provide separate yield tables based on when the stand was planted:

Age of stands
Stands planted pre-1990
Stands planted post-1989
Stands of all ages

For some regions there are additional 'year of planting' splits:

Other age of stand splits
Stands planted pre-1979
Stands planted post-1978
Stands planted between 1979 and 1989
Stands planted pre-1982
Stands planted between 1982 and 1989
Stands planted post-1989
Stands of all ages

Log type specifications

	Small end diameter (cm)	Maximum branch size (cm)	Sweep class*
Pruned	35	0	1
Unpruned	20	14	1
Pulp	10	N/A	2

	Log length (m)
*Sweep class	< 3.7	3.7 – 4.8	4.9 – 7.6	7.6 +
1	d/8	d/4	d/3	d/2
2	d	2d	3d	4d

Download the 2015 yield tables [XLSX, 246 KB]

New Zealand nursery survey

In early 2025, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute, ran the first annual New Zealand nursery survey on behalf of MPI. The results show production, supply and demand of all native and exotic nurseries propagating or growing tree seedlings in New Zealand.

The survey:

reports on the New Zealand tree nursery sector and its production
contributes to national statistics, including the National Exotic Forest Description (NEFD)
helps guide MPI's policy advice for native afforestation
informs opportunities for further research.

Reports

These reports summarise the findings and provide analysis of the data collected in the 2024 survey and previous years when data is available.

New Zealand Nursery Survey – summary of findings 2024 [PDF, 957 KB]

New Zealand Nursery Survey – technical report 2024

This technical report presents the analysis of the 2024 survey data for exotic and native tree nurseries. It includes summaries of the responses to all questions and a time series analysis for the total annual supply of exotic trees since 2014. It explores the most important insights into nursery characteristics, production trends, and sector challenges.

New Zealand Nursery Survey – technical report for 2024 [PDF, 2.4 MB]

Provisional estimates of tree stocks sales and forest planting in 2024

This report uses the nursery survey results of tree stock sales from commercial forestry nurseries to calculate total sales, plantings by species or species groups, and the total area planted. Historical time series are provided for tree stock sales from 2015 (softwood and hardwood species) and 2007 (radiata pine by category) and the provisional estimates of the areas of commercial forest planted in 2024.

Provisional estimates of tree stocks sales and forest planting in 2024 report [PDF, 487 KB]

Final estimates for 2025 planting will be available at the end of 2025 as part of the National Exotic Forest Description 2025 report.

Exotic and native tree production and supply for 2024 and anticipated production for 2025

Detailed statistics about exotic and native plant production and exotic tree stock sales.

New Zealand Nursery Survey – data tables for 2024 [XLSX, 31 KB]

If you have questions about this survey, email teururakau@mpi.govt.nz

Native nursery survey

In 2022, Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service surveyed the nursery sector to understand the barriers it faces.

Native nursery survey 2022 main report [PDF, 2.3 MB]

Native nursery survey 2022 summary [PDF, 1.2 MB]

Update – 20 March 2026

Collection of the National Exotic Forest Description (NEFD) is changing

Quick Facts

Updated December 2025

NZ forest surveys, statistics, and reports

Deforestation surveys

National Exotic Forest Description 2025

Final tables as published in the 2025 NEFD

NEFD yield tables