Agricultural land use in Belgium
Belgium: Agricultural land use was 1.35 million hectares in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
1.35 million hectares
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
135th
of 227 countries
All-time high
1.39 million hectares
in 2003
All-time low
1.33 million hectares
in 2017
Years of data
24
2000–2023
Agricultural land use in Belgium, 2000–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for agricultural land use in Belgium is 1.35 million hectares, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land use in Belgium peaked at 1.39 million hectares in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1.33 million hectares, in 2017.
That places Belgium 135th out of 227 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Agricultural land use in Belgium, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.39 million hectares | — |
| 2001 | 1.39 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 1.39 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 1.39 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 1.39 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 1.38 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.38 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 1.37 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 1.37 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 1.36 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.36 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 1.34 million hectares | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 1.33 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 1.34 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 1.33 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 1.33 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.35 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 1.33 million hectares | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.35 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 1.36 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 1.36 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 1.37 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 1.36 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 1.35 million hectares | -0.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 1.35 million hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 982,000 hectares, 1.4× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 1.35 million hectares is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.61 million hectares, 52% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.38 million hectares | 1.36 million hectares | 1.39 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.34 million hectares | 1.33 million hectares | 1.36 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.36 million hectares | 1.35 million hectares | 1.37 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 132 Croatia 1.49 million hectares compare
- 133 Oman 1.47 million hectares compare
- 134 Papua New Guinea 1.41 million hectares compare
- 136 North Macedonia 1.25 million hectares compare
- 137 El Salvador 1.20 million hectares compare
- 138 Eswatini 1.20 million hectares compare
More agriculture & rural data for Belgium
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -0.3325 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0073 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 443.58 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2138 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1233 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land use in Belgium?
- Agricultural land use in Belgium was 1.35 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agricultural land use recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 1.39 million hectares in 2003.
- What is the lowest agricultural land use recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.33 million hectares in 2017.
- How does Belgium rank for agricultural land use?
- Belgium ranks 135th out of 227 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land use rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Agricultural land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Land used for cultivation of crops and animal husbandry. The total of areas under cropland and permanent meadows and pastures.