Arable land in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Arable land was 12.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Arable land in Europe & Central Asia, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and website, 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, arable land in Europe & Central Asia stood at 12.3%.
The figure is down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 28.5% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 12.3%, in 2022.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 12th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 28.5% | — |
| 1962 | 28.5% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 28.5% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 28.3% | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 28.2% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 28.0% | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 27.9% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 27.8% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 27.9% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 27.7% | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 27.2% | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 27.3% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 27.1% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 27.0% | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 26.9% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 26.9% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 26.9% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 27.0% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 27.1% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 27.0% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 27.0% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 26.7% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 26.5% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 26.8% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 26.8% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 26.8% | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 26.9% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 26.7% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 26.6% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 26.5% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 26.3% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 13.5% | -48.7% |
| 1993 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 13.4% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 13.4% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 13.3% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 13.3% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 13.2% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 13.1% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 13.0% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 12.8% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 12.7% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 12.6% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 12.6% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 12.6% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 12.5% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 12.5% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 12.5% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 12.4% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 12.4% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 12.4% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 12.4% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 12.4% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 12.4% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 12.3% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 12.3% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 12.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 12.3% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 12.3% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 12.3% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 28.2% | 27.8% | 28.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 27.1% | 26.9% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.8% | 26.5% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.0% | 13.1% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.6% | 12.5% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.4% | 12.3% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More agriculture & rural data for Europe & Central Asia
- Rural population, per capita 0.2593 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.0% (2025)
- Rural population 241.78 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.0% (2025)
- Rural population 25.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 690.4 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.88 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.02 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Europe & Central Asia?
- Arable land in Europe & Central Asia was 12.3% in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and website, 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 Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 28.5% in 1963.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.3% in 2022.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for arable land?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and website, 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 (% 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
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.