State-owned areas managed by Metsähallitus

A map of Finland showing the locations of the land and water areas managed by Metsähallitus. Most of them are in Northern Finland, Kainuu and North Karelia. The water areas include coastal waters, excluding areas off Turku.
State-owned lands in green and waters in blue.

In total, 12.6 million hectares of state-owned land and water areas are under Metsähallitus’ stewardship. This accounts for almost one third of Finland’s surface area.

The largest share of state-owned lands is located in Eastern and Northern Finland. Our areas include a wide range of forests, mires, shores and waters.

While slightly over one half of our areas are commercial forests, no forest management operations are carried out on low-productivity and non-productive lands.

Most of the properties and buildings on state-owned land are owned by Senate Properties.

Surface areas – one third of Finland

Metsähallitus manages a total of 12,593,000 hectares: 9,179,000 hectares of land and 3,414,000 hectares of water areas.

LAND AREAS (31.12.2023)HECTARES (%)
Total9 179 000
Forest land in multiple-use forests*
4 862 000 (53 %)
– of which forests in commercial use*3 483 000 (71,5 %)
– of which low-producticity land*705 000 (14,5 %)
– of which non-productive land*674 000 (14 %)
Statuatory protected areas1 863 000 (20 %)
Wilderness areas1 378 000 (15 %)
Areas reserved for conservation programmes350 000 (4 %)
Other areas of special value725 000 (8 %)

* Productive forestry land is classified on the basis of Nordic growth categories of forestry land: on forest land, the average annual growth of the tree stock is at least 1 m3/ha; on low-productivity land, 0.1-1 m3/ha and on nonproductive land, less than 0.1 m3/ha.

WATERS (31.12.2023)HECTARES (%)
Total3 414 000
Statuatory protected areas242 000 (7 %)
Public waters2 663 000 (78 %)
– of which in sea areas2 555 000
– of which in inland water areas108 000
Other water areas509 000 (15 %)