Arable land in European Union
European Union: Arable land was 0.2169 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.2169 hectares per person
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
1st
of 2 regions
All-time high
0.3508 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.2169 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable 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 hectares per person.
Analysis
In 2023, arable land in European Union stood at 0.2169 hectares per person. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in European Union peaked at 0.3508 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.2169 hectares per person, in 2023.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in European Union, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.3508 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.3468 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1963 | 0.3421 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 0.3365 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 0.3315 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 0.3258 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 0.3219 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1968 | 0.3176 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 0.3148 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 0.3101 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1971 | 0.3016 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 0.2982 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 0.2946 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1974 | 0.2927 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 0.2903 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 0.288 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 0.2866 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 0.2859 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 0.2843 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 0.2828 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 0.2812 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 0.2804 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.2783 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 0.2785 hectares per person | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 0.2777 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 0.2771 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 0.2768 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 0.2746 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 0.2715 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 0.2702 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 0.2674 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 0.2732 hectares per person | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 0.2729 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 0.2704 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 0.2662 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 0.2663 hectares per person | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 0.2657 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 0.2626 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.2618 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.2551 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 0.2489 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 0.245 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 0.242 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 0.2402 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 0.2383 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 0.2357 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 0.2315 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 0.2322 hectares per person | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.2312 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 0.2286 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 0.2285 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 0.2285 hectares per person | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.2267 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 0.2262 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 0.2251 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 0.2238 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 0.2234 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.2219 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 0.2223 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.2183 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 0.2187 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 0.2177 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 0.2169 hectares per person | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.332 hectares per person | 0.3148 hectares per person | 0.3508 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.2932 hectares per person | 0.2843 hectares per person | 0.3101 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2779 hectares per person | 0.2715 hectares per person | 0.2828 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2677 hectares per person | 0.2618 hectares per person | 0.2732 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.24 hectares per person | 0.2312 hectares per person | 0.2551 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2255 hectares per person | 0.2219 hectares per person | 0.2286 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2179 hectares per person | 0.2169 hectares per person | 0.2187 hectares per person | 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 arable land in European Union?
- Arable land in European Union was 0.2169 hectares per person 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 arable land recorded in European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3508 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2169 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does European Union rank for arable land?
- European Union ranks 1st out of 2 regions with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. 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 Arable land (hectares per person). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Arable land (hectares per person) 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.