Agricultural land in Euro area
Euro area: Agricultural land was 42.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Euro area, 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
The most recent figure for agricultural land in Euro area is 42.1%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Euro area peaked at 55.7% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 42.1%, in 2023.
Euro area ranks 19th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Euro area, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 55.7% | — |
| 1962 | 55.7% | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 55.6% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 55.4% | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 55.2% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 55.1% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 55.1% | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 54.8% | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 54.9% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 54.3% | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 53.5% | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 53.3% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 53.1% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 53.0% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 52.8% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 52.6% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 52.5% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 52.5% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 52.4% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 52.2% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 52.2% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 52.1% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 51.7% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 51.6% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 51.5% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 51.4% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 51.3% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 51.0% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 51.0% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 50.7% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 49.9% | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 49.0% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 48.9% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 48.7% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 48.2% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 48.1% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 47.9% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 47.7% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 47.7% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 47.1% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 46.5% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 46.2% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 45.8% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 45.6% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 45.7% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 45.2% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 44.8% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 45.0% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 44.7% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 44.5% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 44.1% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 44.0% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 43.8% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 43.3% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 43.2% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 43.0% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 43.0% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 42.8% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 43.1% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 42.7% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 42.6% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 42.8% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 42.1% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 55.3% | 54.8% | 55.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 53.0% | 52.4% | 54.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.6% | 51.0% | 52.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 48.7% | 47.7% | 50.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.7% | 44.7% | 47.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.5% | 42.8% | 44.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.5% | 42.1% | 42.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Euro area
More agriculture & rural data for Euro area
- Rural population, per capita 0.2252 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 80.79 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.3% (2025)
- Rural population 22.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.3% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 776.52 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0155 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Euro area?
- Agricultural land in Euro area was 42.1% 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 Euro area?
- The highest recorded value was 55.7% in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Euro area?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.1% in 2023.
- How does Euro area rank for agricultural land?
- Euro area ranks 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Euro area?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Euro area 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.