Agricultural land in Central Europe and the Baltics
Central Europe and the Baltics: Agricultural land was 45.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Central Europe and the Baltics, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
Central Europe and the Baltics recorded 45.9% for agricultural land in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Central Europe and the Baltics peaked at 64.7% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 45.5%, in 2022.
Central Europe and the Baltics ranks 9th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Central Europe and the Baltics, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 64.7% | — |
| 1962 | 64.6% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 64.5% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 64.6% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 64.4% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 64.4% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 64.3% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 64.5% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 64.3% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 64.2% | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 64.2% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 64.0% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 63.8% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 63.8% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 63.6% | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 63.9% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 63.8% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 63.7% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 63.6% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 63.5% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 63.3% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 63.2% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 63.2% | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 63.3% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 63.3% | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 63.2% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 63.3% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 63.2% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 62.8% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 62.8% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 62.7% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 57.3% | -8.7% |
| 1993 | 56.6% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 56.2% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 55.7% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 55.3% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 55.2% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 54.8% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 54.7% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 53.5% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 52.1% | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 50.4% | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 49.6% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 48.8% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 48.9% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 48.7% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 47.8% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 48.0% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 47.9% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 47.1% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 47.2% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 46.9% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 47.0% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 46.9% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 47.0% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 46.7% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 46.6% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 46.7% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 47.2% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 46.3% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 46.2% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 45.5% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 45.9% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 64.5% | 64.3% | 64.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 63.9% | 63.6% | 64.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 63.2% | 62.8% | 63.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.1% | 54.7% | 62.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.6% | 47.8% | 53.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.9% | 46.6% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.0% | 45.5% | 46.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Central Europe and the Baltics
- 6 South Africa 79.4% compare
- 7 Kazakhstan 79.4% compare
- 8 Lesotho 77.8% compare
- 9 Rwanda 76.3% compare
- 10 Nigeria 76.2% compare
- 11 Republic of Moldova 74.1% compare
- 12 Syrian Arab Republic 74.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Central Europe and the Baltics
- Rural population, per capita 0.3809 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.4% (2025)
- Rural population 38.02 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.5% (2025)
- Rural population 38.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 674.26 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 12.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0244 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- Agricultural land in Central Europe and the Baltics was 45.9% in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- The highest recorded value was 64.7% in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.5% in 2022.
- How does Central Europe and the Baltics rank for agricultural land?
- Central Europe and the Baltics ranks 9th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Central Europe and the Baltics data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Agricultural land (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.