Belgium vs Netherlands: Cropland extent over the long-term
Belgium
901,855 hectares
in 2025
Netherlands
1.02 million hectares
in 2025
Belgium rank
116th
Netherlands rank
113th
Cropland extent over the long-term over time
- Belgium
- Netherlands
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 1.02 million hectares against 901,855 hectares in Belgium, a difference of 123,115 hectares.
That makes Netherlands's figure about 1.1 times Belgium's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 116th and Netherlands ranks 113th of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 29 and Netherlands in 11.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 90,755 hectares | 81,264 hectares | 9,491 hectares | Belgium |
| 1100s | 133,324 hectares | 97,516 hectares | 35,808 hectares | Belgium |
| 1200s | 195,386 hectares | 109,706 hectares | 85,680 hectares | Belgium |
| 1300s | 264,316 hectares | 194,095 hectares | 70,221 hectares | Belgium |
| 1400s | 164,106 hectares | 138,639 hectares | 25,467 hectares | Belgium |
| 1500s | 247,403 hectares | 210,742 hectares | 36,661 hectares | Belgium |
| 1600s | 284,215 hectares | 282,845 hectares | 1,370 hectares | Belgium |
| 1700s | 313,573 hectares | 354,948 hectares | 41,375 hectares | Netherlands |
| 1710s | 341,028 hectares | 360,745 hectares | 19,717 hectares | Netherlands |
| 1720s | 368,030 hectares | 366,543 hectares | 1,487 hectares | Belgium |
| 1730s | 394,558 hectares | 372,340 hectares | 22,218 hectares | Belgium |
| 1740s | 420,591 hectares | 378,138 hectares | 42,453 hectares | Belgium |
| 1750s | 446,104 hectares | 383,935 hectares | 62,169 hectares | Belgium |
| 1760s | 471,072 hectares | 389,732 hectares | 81,340 hectares | Belgium |
| 1770s | 495,464 hectares | 395,530 hectares | 99,934 hectares | Belgium |
| 1780s | 519,250 hectares | 401,327 hectares | 117,923 hectares | Belgium |
| 1790s | 542,393 hectares | 407,125 hectares | 135,268 hectares | Belgium |
| 1800s | 564,854 hectares | 412,922 hectares | 151,932 hectares | Belgium |
| 1810s | 586,588 hectares | 418,720 hectares | 167,868 hectares | Belgium |
| 1820s | 607,545 hectares | 424,517 hectares | 183,028 hectares | Belgium |
| 1830s | 638,564 hectares | 467,785 hectares | 170,779 hectares | Belgium |
| 1840s | 619,248 hectares | 513,563 hectares | 105,685 hectares | Belgium |
| 1850s | 647,081 hectares | 553,670 hectares | 93,411 hectares | Belgium |
| 1860s | 682,024 hectares | 596,520 hectares | 85,504 hectares | Belgium |
| 1870s | 709,612 hectares | 642,830 hectares | 66,782 hectares | Belgium |
| 1880s | 760,532 hectares | 708,088 hectares | 52,444 hectares | Belgium |
| 1890s | 810,247 hectares | 777,748 hectares | 32,499 hectares | Belgium |
| 1900s | 866,413 hectares | 866,118 hectares | 295 hectares | Belgium |
| 1910s | 930,200 hectares | 881,672 hectares | 48,528 hectares | Belgium |
| 1920s | 904,332 hectares | 907,868 hectares | 3,536 hectares | Netherlands |
| 1930s | 949,701 hectares | 939,386 hectares | 10,315 hectares | Belgium |
| 1940s | 951,114 hectares | 951,256 hectares | 142 hectares | Netherlands |
| 1950s | 961,996 hectares | 1.05 million hectares | 84,128 hectares | Netherlands |
| 1960s | 960,974 hectares | 969,540 hectares | 8,566 hectares | Netherlands |
| 1970s | 931,882 hectares | 855,860 hectares | 76,022 hectares | Belgium |
| 1980s | 724,185 hectares | 898,130 hectares | 173,945 hectares | Netherlands |
| 1990s | 809,221 hectares | 962,210 hectares | 152,989 hectares | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 863,280 hectares | 1.10 million hectares | 232,730 hectares | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 854,336 hectares | 1.06 million hectares | 208,944 hectares | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 893,390 hectares | 1.04 million hectares | 141,908 hectares | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cropland extent over the long-term, Belgium or Netherlands?
- Netherlands, at 1.02 million hectares against 901,855 hectares in Belgium as of 2025.
- What is the difference in cropland extent over the long-term between Belgium and Netherlands?
- 123,115 hectares, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for cropland extent over the long-term?
- Belgium ranks 116th and Netherlands ranks 113th of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2025) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Cropland extent over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total cropland area for each separate country over time.