Forest properties, 2006

There are 109 000 personal forest owners with a productive forest area of 25 decares or more in Norway. Their accumulated entrepreneurial income from forestry was NOK 784 million in 2006. In addition, spouses of forest owners had NOK 88 million in income from forestry in the same year. In 2005, the corresponding income was NOK 1.6 billion and NOK 220 million respectively. In other words, the entrepreneurial income from forestry was halved from 2005 to 2006. The large income in 2005 was mainly due to changes in tax regulations, which entered into force on 1 January 2006. The same changes were implemented for self-employed in other industries . In 2000-2004, the entrepreneurial income from forestry was slightly higher than in 2006.

In 2006, the average gross income for forest owners with entrepreneurial income from forestry was NOK 393 000. Income from forestry accounted for 8 per cent of the gross income while other entrepreneurial income accounted for 32 per cent. Income from wages and salaries accounted for 41 per cent, and the remainder was made up of pensions and other income.

Hedmark on top

Forest owners from Hedmark had the highest average entrepreneurial income from forestry in 2006, with NOK 51 500. In this county, 37 per cent of the forest owners had entrepreneurial income from forestry. However, Nord-Trøndelag had the highest proportion of forest owners with positive entrepreneurial income, with 47 per cent. In the three northernmost counties, only a marginal share of the forest owners had entrepreneurial income from forestry.

One in four forest owners are women. Women made up 16 per cent of the forest owners with positive forestry income in 2006. Their average entrepreneurial income from forestry was 10 per cent higher for female than male forest owners.

Agricultural income

Three in five forest owners with positive forest income in 2006 run their own agricultural holding. Their average entrepreneurial income from agriculture was twice as large as the corresponding income from forestry. In 2006, the entrepreneurial income from agriculture was NOK 79 400 on average.

One in seven had higher education

The education level of forest owners is slightly lower than in the population as a whole. While statistics on tertiary education show that one in four in the population had higher education in 2006, this only applied to one in seven forest owners. The main reason for this difference is the high average age of forest owners. Among forest owners living in cities, the education level is the same as in the population as a whole.

Tables:

• Table 1 Average incomes, debt, gross wealth and assessed taxes for personal forest owners with positive entrepreneurial income from forestry. By county, size of productive forest area, sex and age. 2006. NOK
• Table 2 Average incomes, debt, gross wealth and assessed taxes for personal forest owners with at least 25 decares productive forest area. By county, size of productive forest area, sex and age. 2006. NOK 1 000
• Table 3 Productive forest area, by where the forest area of personal forest owners are situated. Decares. 2006
• Table 4 Entrepreneurial income forestry for personal forest owners, by size of income. 2005 and 2006. NOK 1 000