Land under cereal production in Ireland
Ireland: Land under cereal production was 258,930 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Land under cereal production in Ireland, 1961–2024
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2024, land under cereal production in Ireland stood at 258,930 hectares. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.9% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land under cereal production in Ireland peaked at 444,000 hectares in 1980 and was at its lowest, 258,930 hectares, in 2024.
That places Ireland 115th out of 181 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.
Land under cereal production 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)
- Agriculture share gdp 1.06 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 1.06 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land under cereal production in Ireland?
- Land under cereal production in Ireland was 258,930 hectares in 2024, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest land under cereal production recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 444,000 hectares in 1980.
- What is the lowest land under cereal production recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 258,930 hectares in 2024.
- How does Ireland rank for land under cereal production?
- Ireland ranks 115th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is land under cereal production 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 FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Land under cereal production (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Land under cereal production refers to harvested area, although some countries report only sown or cultivated area. Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains. Production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.