Agricultural land in European Union
European Union: Agricultural land was 40.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in European Union, 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
European Union recorded 40.3% for agricultural land in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in European Union peaked at 52.8% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 40.3%, in 2023.
That places European Union 25th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in European Union, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 52.8% | — |
| 1962 | 52.7% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 52.6% | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 52.4% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 52.2% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 52.1% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 52.1% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 51.9% | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 51.9% | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 51.4% | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 50.9% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 50.7% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 50.5% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 50.4% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 50.2% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 50.1% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 50.0% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 50.0% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 49.9% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 49.8% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 49.7% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 49.6% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 49.3% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 49.2% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 49.1% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 49.0% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 49.0% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 48.7% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 48.6% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 48.4% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 47.8% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 47.2% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 47.3% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 47.2% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 46.8% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 46.7% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 46.5% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 46.4% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 46.3% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 45.8% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 45.3% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 44.7% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 44.2% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 43.9% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 43.9% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 43.5% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 43.0% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 43.2% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 42.9% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 42.5% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 42.3% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 42.0% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 41.9% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 41.5% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 41.4% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 41.2% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 41.2% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 41.1% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 41.4% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 40.8% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 40.8% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 40.7% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 40.3% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 52.3% | 51.9% | 52.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 50.4% | 49.9% | 51.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.2% | 48.6% | 49.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.1% | 46.3% | 48.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.0% | 42.9% | 45.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.6% | 41.1% | 42.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.7% | 40.3% | 40.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near European Union
More agriculture & rural data for European Union
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 346.42 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.6% (2025)
- Rural population 112.00 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.4% (2025)
- Rural population 24.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.3% (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2483 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in European Union?
- Agricultural land in European Union was 40.3% 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 European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 52.8% in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.3% in 2023.
- How does European Union rank for agricultural land?
- European Union ranks 25th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this European Union 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.