Agricultural land in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Agricultural land was 28.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) is 28.3%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 56.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 28.1%, in 2009.
That places Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 54.2% | — |
| 1962 | 54.4% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 54.8% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 54.8% | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 54.7% | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 54.9% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 54.7% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 55.0% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 55.7% | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 55.3% | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 55.4% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 55.6% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 55.5% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 55.2% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 54.8% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 54.9% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 55.0% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 55.0% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 55.5% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 55.3% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 55.2% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 54.2% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 53.9% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 54.6% | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 54.9% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 55.2% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 55.9% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 55.7% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 55.9% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 55.8% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 56.1% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 29.3% | -47.8% |
| 1993 | 29.2% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 29.1% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 28.9% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 28.8% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 28.8% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 28.8% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 28.8% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 28.7% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 28.7% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 28.6% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 28.5% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 28.4% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 28.3% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 28.3% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 28.2% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 28.2% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 28.1% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 28.3% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 28.3% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 28.3% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 28.3% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 28.3% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 28.3% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 28.3% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 28.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 28.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 28.3% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 28.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 28.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 28.3% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 28.3% | -0.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Agricultural land in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | -47.8% | 56.1% | 29.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 54.8% | 54.2% | 55.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 55.2% | 54.8% | 55.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 55.1% | 53.9% | 55.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.3% | 28.8% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.4% | 28.1% | 28.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.3% | 28.3% | 28.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.3% | 28.3% | 28.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
More agriculture & rural data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3085 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 4.2% (2025)
- Rural population 142.68 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Rural population 30.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 644.43 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 12.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0421 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Agricultural land in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 28.3% 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 56.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.1% in 2009.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for agricultural land?
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.