Global wood pellet production reached 53.5 million tonnes in 2025 — a 10% year-on-year increase and the strongest growth recorded in recent years — according to Bioenergy Europe's latest Pellet Statistical Report.
Global consumption also hit a new all-time high of 51.5 million tonnes, confirming sustained demand across both industrial and small-scale heating applications.
Europe retained its position as the world's largest pellet-consuming region, accounting for 70% of global demand when industrial and residential uses are combined, and 45% of global production. European output — excluding Belarus and Russia — rose 10% to 24.1 million tonnes, a new regional record, reversing two consecutive years of contraction.
Small-scale pellet consumption in Europe exceeded 19 million tonnes in 2025, another historical high. Residential consumption alone reached 15.3 million tonnes, up 5% on the previous year, with pellet appliances now heating more than 6.5 million households across the continent.
The report, published on 24 June, comes as Europe prepares a new EU Heating and Cooling Strategy. Renewable energy sources currently account for around one third of household heating consumption in EU buildings, with natural gas remaining the dominant fuel.
Pellet heating plays varying roles across European markets. Italy and France have the largest installed bases of pellet appliances — predominantly stoves — while Austria, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Czechia tend toward pellet boilers as primary central heating systems, driving higher per-household consumption. Support schemes in Austria and Poland have driven near-record household adoption of modern pellet boilers in place of oil and coal systems.
The report also addresses air quality concerns, drawing a distinction between modern certified pellet appliances — which operate with a standardised fuel — and older, inefficient solid-fuel devices. Replacing obsolete systems with certified alternatives can reduce emissions while generating more heat from less biomass, the report found.
Global wood pellet production hits record 53.5 million tonnes in 2025
