Agricultural land in Netherlands
Netherlands: Agricultural land was 53.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Netherlands, 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
In 2023, agricultural land in Netherlands stood at 53.5%. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Netherlands peaked at 68.0% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 53.5%, in 2023.
That places Netherlands 54th out of 210 countries 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 Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 68.0% | — |
| 1962 | 67.8% | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 67.4% | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 66.9% | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 66.6% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 66.6% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 66.4% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 66.2% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 65.7% | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 65.2% | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 63.3% | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 62.8% | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 62.4% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 62.2% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 61.8% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 61.6% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 61.2% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 60.7% | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 60.3% | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 60.3% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 60.1% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 60.1% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 59.5% | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 59.7% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 59.8% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 59.8% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 59.7% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 59.7% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 59.4% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 59.8% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 58.3% | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 58.2% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 58.3% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 57.8% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 58.2% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 57.8% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 58.2% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 56.7% | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 58.4% | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 58.0% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 57.0% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 57.5% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 56.7% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 57.7% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 57.4% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 56.9% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 56.7% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 57.1% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 56.8% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 55.5% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 55.1% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 54.6% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 54.8% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 54.6% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 54.8% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 53.9% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 54.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 54.1% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 54.0% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 53.9% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 53.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 53.6% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 53.5% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 66.8% | 65.7% | 68.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 62.2% | 60.3% | 65.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 59.8% | 59.4% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 58.2% | 56.7% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.2% | 56.7% | 58.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.6% | 53.9% | 55.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.7% | 53.5% | 53.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 51 Sierra Leone 54.7% compare
- 52 Paraguay 54.1% compare
- 53 Kyrgyzstan 54.0% compare
- 55 Burkina Faso 53.4% compare
- 56 Mozambique 52.8% compare
- 57 France 52.5% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Netherlands
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0168 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,240 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -6.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0406 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Netherlands?
- Agricultural land in Netherlands was 53.5% 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 Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 68.0% in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.5% in 2023.
- How does Netherlands rank for agricultural land?
- Netherlands ranks 54th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Netherlands 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.