Agricultural land in European Union
European Union: Agricultural land was 1.61 million sq. km 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 sq. km.
Analysis
European Union recorded 1.61 million sq. km for agricultural land in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is 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 2.08 million sq. km in 1961 and was at its lowest, 1.61 million sq. km, in 2023.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in European Union, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.08 million sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 2.08 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 2.07 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 2.07 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 2.06 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 2.06 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 2.06 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 2.05 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 2.05 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 2.03 million sq. km | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 2.01 million sq. km | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 2.01 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 2.00 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 1.99 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 1.99 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 1.98 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 1.98 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 1.98 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 1.98 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 1.97 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 1.97 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 1.96 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 1.95 million sq. km | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 1.95 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 1.95 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 1.94 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 1.94 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 1.93 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 1.93 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 1.92 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 1.90 million sq. km | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 1.89 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 1.89 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 1.88 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 1.86 million sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 1.86 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 1.85 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 1.85 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 1.85 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 1.83 million sq. km | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.80 million sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 1.78 million sq. km | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.76 million sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 1.75 million sq. km | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 1.75 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.73 million sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 1.71 million sq. km | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 1.72 million sq. km | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 1.71 million sq. km | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 1.69 million sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 1.68 million sq. km | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 1.68 million sq. km | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 1.67 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 1.65 million sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 1.65 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.64 million sq. km | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.64 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.64 million sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 1.65 million sq. km | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 1.63 million sq. km | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 1.63 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 1.62 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 1.61 million sq. km | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.06 million sq. km | 2.05 million sq. km | 2.08 million sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.00 million sq. km | 1.98 million sq. km | 2.03 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.95 million sq. km | 1.93 million sq. km | 1.97 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.87 million sq. km | 1.85 million sq. km | 1.92 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.76 million sq. km | 1.71 million sq. km | 1.83 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.66 million sq. km | 1.64 million sq. km | 1.69 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.62 million sq. km | 1.61 million sq. km | 1.63 million sq. km | 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)
- 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, annual growth rate -0.3771 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 767.89 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in European Union?
- Agricultural land in European Union was 1.61 million sq. km 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 2.08 million sq. km in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.61 million sq. km in 2023.
- How does European Union rank for agricultural land?
- European Union ranks 1st out of 3 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 (sq. km). 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 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.