Arable land in Ireland
Ireland: Arable land was 439,000 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
439,000 hectares
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
128th
of 206 countries
All-time high
651,600 hectares
in 1961
All-time low
391,700 hectares
in 1991
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Ireland, 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.
Analysis
In 2023, arable land in Ireland stood at 439,000 hectares.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Ireland peaked at 651,600 hectares in 1961 and was at its lowest, 391,700 hectares, in 1991.
That places Ireland 128th out of 206 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.
Arable land in Ireland, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 651,600 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 646,800 hectares | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 615,100 hectares | -4.9% |
| 1964 | 585,600 hectares | -4.8% |
| 1965 | 567,300 hectares | -3.1% |
| 1966 | 513,100 hectares | -9.6% |
| 1967 | 528,100 hectares | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 529,500 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 515,300 hectares | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 532,200 hectares | +3.3% |
| 1971 | 535,500 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 509,700 hectares | -4.8% |
| 1973 | 482,200 hectares | -5.4% |
| 1974 | 470,500 hectares | -2.4% |
| 1975 | 457,500 hectares | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 474,000 hectares | +3.6% |
| 1977 | 502,800 hectares | +6.1% |
| 1978 | 507,300 hectares | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 518,200 hectares | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 553,500 hectares | +6.8% |
| 1981 | 531,100 hectares | -4.0% |
| 1982 | 517,200 hectares | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 497,500 hectares | -3.8% |
| 1984 | 514,400 hectares | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 504,600 hectares | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 465,900 hectares | -7.7% |
| 1987 | 438,000 hectares | -6.0% |
| 1988 | 421,100 hectares | -3.9% |
| 1989 | 414,400 hectares | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 394,600 hectares | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 391,700 hectares | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 392,900 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 403,900 hectares | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 400,300 hectares | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 396,600 hectares | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 403,700 hectares | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 424,800 hectares | +5.2% |
| 1998 | 445,900 hectares | +5.0% |
| 1999 | 467,000 hectares | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 488,100 hectares | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 509,200 hectares | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 518,200 hectares | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 531,230 hectares | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 521,650 hectares | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 488,690 hectares | -6.3% |
| 2006 | 467,080 hectares | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 465,450 hectares | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 485,650 hectares | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 462,590 hectares | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 438,840 hectares | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 459,140 hectares | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 482,610 hectares | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 474,040 hectares | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 465,180 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 453,000 hectares | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 461,000 hectares | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 461,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 451,000 hectares | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 443,000 hectares | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 444,000 hectares | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 436,000 hectares | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 446,000 hectares | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 439,000 hectares | -1.6% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 439,000 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 178,890 hectares, 2.5× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 439,000 hectares is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.32 million hectares, 33% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 572,489 hectares | 513,100 hectares | 651,600 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 498,990 hectares | 457,500 hectares | 535,500 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 485,770 hectares | 414,400 hectares | 553,500 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 412,140 hectares | 391,700 hectares | 467,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 493,784 hectares | 462,590 hectares | 531,230 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 458,881 hectares | 438,840 hectares | 482,610 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 441,250 hectares | 436,000 hectares | 446,000 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 125 Mauritania 450,000 hectares compare
- 126 Armenia 441,600 hectares compare
- 127 Gambia 440,000 hectares compare
- 129 North Macedonia 416,000 hectares compare
- 130 Switzerland 396,421 hectares compare
- 131 Guinea-Bissau 395,530 hectares compare
More agriculture & rural data for Ireland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 22.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0106 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,391 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.9559 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3541 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Ireland?
- Arable land in Ireland was 439,000 hectares 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 651,600 hectares in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 391,700 hectares in 1991.
- How does Ireland rank for arable land?
- Ireland ranks 128th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Arable land (in hectares) 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.