According to the forest health survey for 2025, released by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday, the condition of Germany’s forests has stabilized, despite worse weather conditions compared to the previous year. Overall, the national average crown condition has barely changed, and roughly one in five trees is reported as healthy, regardless of whether the species is deciduous or coniferous. While the number of trees newly dying has decreased across the board, the forests have still not fully recovered from the dry years of 2018 through 2020.
Federal Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) emphasized the forest’s dual role-as a vital component of both the national homeland and the economy. He stressed that securing the future of German forests depends on two main strategies: transitioning towards diverse, productive mixed forests and implementing sustainable forestry practices. Rainer highlighted the clear reduction in newly dead trees as a crucial positive signal.
Detailed results from the 2025 survey provided specific insights into different tree species. For spruce, the proportion of severe crown thinning saw a small decrease, moving from 39% to 38%. Beech, however, showed improvements in crown thinning, dropping from 46% to 38%. In contrast, the share of severe crown thinning increased for pine, rising from 24% to 31%. Oak maintained persistently high levels of crown thinning, remaining at 51%. Looking at the long term, measurable evidence points to a continuing decline, as visible leaf and needle loss across all species has increased since 1984, and the vitality levels the forests held before the drought years could not yet be regained.