Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in Ireland
Ireland: Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population was 258,930 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
258,930 hectares
Change on year
down 3.9%
World rank
118th
of 186 countries
All-time high
444,000 hectares
in 1980
All-time low
258,930 hectares
in 2024
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in Ireland, 1961–2024
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 change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in Ireland is 258,930 hectares, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.9% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in Ireland peaked at 444,000 hectares in 1980 and was at its lowest, 258,930 hectares, in 2024.
That places Ireland 118th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in Ireland, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 435,435 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 432,097 hectares | -0.8% |
| 1963 | 402,746 hectares | -6.8% |
| 1964 | 387,957 hectares | -3.7% |
| 1965 | 377,250 hectares | -2.8% |
| 1966 | 338,713 hectares | -10.2% |
| 1967 | 356,167 hectares | +5.2% |
| 1968 | 362,476 hectares | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 357,940 hectares | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 377,288 hectares | +5.4% |
| 1971 | 386,391 hectares | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 372,110 hectares | -3.7% |
| 1973 | 351,351 hectares | -5.6% |
| 1974 | 347,988 hectares | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 338,972 hectares | -2.6% |
| 1976 | 349,855 hectares | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 372,500 hectares | +6.5% |
| 1978 | 387,839 hectares | +4.1% |
| 1979 | 400,942 hectares | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 444,000 hectares | +10.7% |
| 1981 | 429,000 hectares | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 412,500 hectares | -3.8% |
| 1983 | 395,300 hectares | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 406,800 hectares | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 400,100 hectares | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 364,500 hectares | -8.9% |
| 1987 | 335,300 hectares | -8.0% |
| 1988 | 324,100 hectares | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 320,000 hectares | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 298,874 hectares | -6.6% |
| 1991 | 301,800 hectares | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 300,508 hectares | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 285,112 hectares | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 270,214 hectares | -5.2% |
| 1995 | 274,115 hectares | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 293,716 hectares | +7.2% |
| 1997 | 310,116 hectares | +5.6% |
| 1998 | 300,717 hectares | -3.0% |
| 1999 | 290,017 hectares | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 279,318 hectares | -3.7% |
| 2001 | 286,118 hectares | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 299,519 hectares | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 303,119 hectares | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 310,418 hectares | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 282,115 hectares | -9.1% |
| 2006 | 280,012 hectares | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 279,109 hectares | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 322,307 hectares | +15.5% |
| 2009 | 300,004 hectares | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 274,102 hectares | -8.6% |
| 2011 | 297,600 hectares | +8.6% |
| 2012 | 315,595 hectares | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 307,995 hectares | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 306,894 hectares | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 292,594 hectares | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 281,290 hectares | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 272,627 hectares | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 260,970 hectares | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 266,660 hectares | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 265,640 hectares | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 274,670 hectares | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 285,660 hectares | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 269,360 hectares | -5.7% |
| 2024 | 258,930 hectares | -3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 383,420 hectares | 338,713 hectares | 435,435 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 368,524 hectares | 338,972 hectares | 400,942 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 383,160 hectares | 320,000 hectares | 444,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 292,519 hectares | 270,214 hectares | 310,116 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 294,204 hectares | 279,109 hectares | 322,307 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 287,633 hectares | 260,970 hectares | 315,595 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 270,852 hectares | 258,930 hectares | 285,660 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
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 change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in Ireland?
- Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population in Ireland was 258,930 hectares in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest change in cereal production, yield, land use and population recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 444,000 hectares in 1980.
- What is the lowest change in cereal production, yield, land use and population recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 258,930 hectares in 2024.
- How does Ireland rank for change in cereal production, yield, land use and population?
- Ireland ranks 118th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is change in cereal production, yield, land use and population rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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 Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains.