A look at Canada’s lumber industry in 2024

Release date: December 12, 2025 Correction date: February 17, 2026

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Correction Notice

This updated version of the infographic originally published on December 12, 2025, includes corrections to the volume figures to properly reflect the units of measure.

To address data suppression in some months, the category "Other softwood" was created to combine hemlock fir, western red cedar, and all other softwood, not elsewhere specified. The section on the province of origin of softwood was revised to include only data on Canada and the B.C. Interior region and the visual was updated to include more recent export data. Finally, a correction was made to indicate that the export data pertain to the United States.

Infographic: A look at Canada’s lumber industry in 2024
Description: A look at Canada’s lumber industry in 2024

In 2024, the forestry sector accounted for 0.9% of Canada’s real gross domestic product (GDP), representing $21.6 billion.

Softwood made up about 98% of Canada’s wood production.

  • Softwood: 47,895,000 m3
  • Hardwood: 858,000 m3

Spruce, pine and fir were the most common types of softwood lumber.

Table 2
Table summary
The information is grouped by Type of softwood (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
Softwood lumber production, by type
Spruce, pine and fir 42,816,000 m3
Douglas fir and western larch 2,323,000 m3
Other softwood 2,756,000 m3

In 2024, Canada exported more than 58% of its softwood lumber to the united states. The B.C. Interior region was the leading producer, with its exports accounting for approximately 32% of Canada’s total softwood lumber exports to the U.S.

Table 3
Table summary
The information is grouped by Region (appearing as row headers), Production and Export, calculated using cubic metres (m3) units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Region Production Export
Canada 47,895,000 m3 27,927,000 m3
B.C. Interior 13,967,000 m3 8,944,000 m3

86% of all exported wood products went to the United States.

Table 4
Table summary
The information is grouped by Country (appearing as row headers), Exports, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Country Exports
United States 86%
Japan 5%
China 3%
United Kingdom 1%
Other countries 5%

Potential factors that affect lumber prices

  • Tariffs
  • Regulations
  • Insect infestations
  • Wildfires
  • Housing construction demand
  • Exchange rate

A price index is used to compare prices over time, and since the starting point (the base period) is always set to 100, an index of 110 in a given month means that prices are 10% higher than in the base period.

In the table below, on average, goods worth $100.0 in January 2020 would have cost $328.0 in May 2021 and $117.1 in September 2025.

Softwood Lumber Price Index, 2020 to 2025Note 1

Table 5
Table summary
The information is grouped by Period (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).
Period Index value
Jan. 2020 100.0
Feb. 2020 107.8
Mar. 2020 109.3
Apr. 2020 98.9
Mar. 2020 100.6
Apr. 2020 106.3
May. 2020 130.2
Aug. 2020 160.6
Sept. 2020 192.5
Oct. 2020 176.7
Nov. 2020 150.2
Dec. 2020 180.2
Jan. 2021 204.8
Feb. 2021 218.5
Mar. 2021 235.9
Apr. 2021 263.0
May. 2021 328.0
June. 2021 287.0
July. 2021 192.6
Aug. 2021 153.3
Sept. 2021 152.7
Oct. 2021 163.3
Nov. 2021 170.5
Dec. 2021 216.2
Jan. 2022 248.9
Feb. 2022 266.8
Mar. 2022 294.4
Apr. 2022 262.3
May. 2022 248.8
June. 2022 175.6
July. 2022 179.3
Aug. 2022 169.2
Sept. 2022 153.0
Oct. 2022 149.7
Nov. 2022 140.9
Dec. 2022 130.7
Jan. 2023 121.2
Feb. 2023 130.6
Mar. 2023 121.8
Apr. 2023 116.2
May. 2023 117.2
June. 2023 114.6
July. 2023 127.5
Aug. 2023 123.2
Sept. 2023 126.1
Oct. 2023 120.0
Nov. 2023 120.1
Dec. 2023 119.1
Jan. 2024 123.8
Feb. 2024 124.3
Mar. 2024 131.6
Apr. 2024 131.1
May. 2024 123.5
June. 2024 122.9
July. 2024 116.6
Aug. 2024 123.6
Sept. 2024 127.5
Oct. 2024 130.5
Nov. 2024 142.9
Dec. 2024 145.2
Jan. 2025 142.7
Feb. 2025 140.7
Mar. 2025 148.6
Apr. 2025 138.6
May. 2025 128.0
June. 2025 128.4
July. 2025 130.0
Aug. 2025 131.2
Sept. 2025 117.1

Sources: Statistics Canada, 2025, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Web Application – Exports, table 18-10-0266-01– Industrial product price index, by product, monthly, table 16-10-0017-01 – Lumber production, shipments, and stocks by species, monthly; Government of British Columbia, 2025, “Softwood lumber trade dispute”; Global Affairs Canada, 2024, "Softwood lumber: Historic reports"; Meyer-Robinson, R., 2022, “Prices through the supply chain: Softwood lumber,” Prices Analytical Series, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 62F0014M; Natural Resources Canada, 2025, “Canada announces support for British Columbia’s forest sector.”

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2025

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

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