Agriculture statistics at regional level

Data extracted in March 2025.

Planned article update: September 2026.

Highlights

Andalucía in southern Spain had the highest level of crop output among EU regions, valued at €13.1 billion in 2022; this represented 83.5% of Andalucía’s agricultural industry.

Bretagne in north-west France recorded the highest level of animal output among EU regions, valued at €7.7 billion in 2023; this represented 70.1% of Bretagne’s agricultural industry.

Source: Eurostat (agr_r_accts) and (aact_eaa01)

Farms are crucial to providing safe and affordable food across the European Union (EU). Furthermore, farmers are increasingly encouraged to balance food production with managing the countryside for the public good, contributing to rural landscapes, biodiversity and environmental sustainability.

Agricultural products, food and culinary traditions play a significant role in shaping regional and cultural identity, with climate, landscape and farming techniques contributing to the broad variety of different agricultural goods and services across the EU. In 2020, there were 9.1 million farm holdings in the EU, collectively managing 1.55 million km² of land – equivalent to 37.8% of the overall land area.

This final chapter of the Eurostat regional yearbook presents agricultural statistics, focusing on 3 principal datasets.

Agricultural production statistics detailing the number of head of bovine animals and pigs for NUTS level 2 regions.
Agricultural census data, providing regional information on the relative importance of young farm managers.
Economic accounts for agriculture providing regional analyses of crop output, animal output, and the output of agricultural services and secondary activities.

In 2023, crop output accounted for about half (50.9%) of the total value of the EU’s agricultural industry. Based on the latest regional information available across NUTS level 2 regions with at least €100 million of crop output, Wien (Austria) – that is specialised in viticulture and horticulture – had the highest relative share (95.1% in 2023; see the infographic above). The Austrian capital region was followed by Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur in France (89.7% in 2023) and Rheinhessen-Pfalz in Germany (89.5% in 2022).

Animal production

Animal production plays a crucial role in the EU’s agricultural sector. The livestock population at any given moment describes the production system through the stock of animals being farmed; the data presented in this section refer to the situation as of December 2024.

The duration of a production cycle indicates the time required for animals to reach their slaughter weight. However, other animals may be kept for milk or to act as breeding stock. The typical lifespan of an animal varies: for example, veal calves will typically be slaughtered within 8 months, beef cattle within the first 2.5 years and dairy cows within 5 years.

More about the data: agricultural production

Livestock statistics provide essential insights into the populations of different farm animal species, detailing the number of head at various stages of rearing. These figures typically distinguish between animals raised for:

fattening and slaughter, contributing to meat production
herd renewal, which includes breeding and milking livestock to sustain future production cycles.

The EU initially aimed to ensure a stable and sufficient food supply within the EU through the common agricultural policy (CAP). Over time, this focus evolved to emphasise market transparency, helping policymakers and stakeholders monitor supply and demand fluctuations. Reliable livestock statistics play a key role in this process by providing feedback on production trends, price signals and sustainability.

Regional livestock data are generally shown for NUTS level 2 regions. However, data for Germany are presented at NUTS level 1, while only national data are available for Albania.

Cattle farming is primarily concentrated in western EU countries that are characterised by a temperate climate and relatively high levels of rainfall. These conditions encourage pasture-based farming, specialising in both dairy and beef production.

Across EU regions, Southern in Ireland had the largest bovine population: 3.4 million head as of December 2024

As of December 2024, the EU’s bovine herd totalled 71.9 million head. Map 1 shows the share of each NUTS level 2 region in the EU’s overall population of bovine animals. There were 15 regions that accounted for at least 1.5% of the total (as shown by the darkest shade of green). Together this group of 15 regions accounted for more than 1 in 3 (35.6%) of the EU’s bovine population. The highest concentrations of bovine animals were in Ireland and the north-west of France, while high shares were also recorded in a band of regions running from north-west Spain, through central France and into the Alpine regions of southern Germany and northern Italy. There were also clusters of intensive cattle farming in northern Germany and selected regions of Poland.

Map 1 also presents regional information on the total number of bovine animals (as denoted by the size of each circle).

The Southern region of Ireland had the highest bovine population among the EU’s NUTS level 2 regions, at 3.4 million head. This region is particularly specialised in dairy production, reflecting its abundant pastures. The Northern and Western region of Ireland also featured among the 7 EU regions that had at least 1.5 million bovine animals.
In Germany, Bayern (located in the south-east) had the 2nd highest bovine population in the EU, with 2.7 million head. Niedersachsen (located in north-west Germany) had 2.2 million head. Note the data for Germany are reported at NUTS level 1, which can result in absolute values being misleading when compared with NUTS level 2 data for other countries.
In France, the leading regions for cattle farming were in the north-west of the country, where the temperate climate and prevailing weather patterns shaped by the Atlantic give rise to specialisation within the dairy sector: Pays de la Loire had 2.1 million head of bovine animals, while Bretagne had 1.7 million head.
Outside of these 3 countries, Lombardia in northern Italy was the only other region in the EU to have at least 1.5 million bovine animals.

Map 1: Bovine animals
Source: Eurostat (agr_r_animal) and (apro_mt_lscatl)

Within the EU, pig farming primarily occurs in regions characterised by intensive livestock production, often tied to large-scale commercial farming operations. As of December 2024, the EU’s pig population stood at 132.1 million head.

Across EU regions, Aragón in Spain had the largest pig population: 9.9 million head as of December 2024

Map 2 illustrates the share of each NUTS level 2 region in the EU’s overall pig population. In December 2024, 10 regions accounted for at least 2.5% of all pigs in the EU (as shown by the darkest shade of green in the map). Together, this group of 10 regions accounted for almost half (43.9%) of all pigs in the EU. The highest numbers and shares were found in the northern half of Spain and in a band of regions stretching from Denmark through northern Germany and into the Netherlands. There were also regional pockets with high numbers of pigs in north-west France and northern Italy.

Map 2 also shows the total number of pigs found in each region as of December 2024 (as indicated by the size of each circle).

The north-eastern Spanish region of Aragón had the largest pig population among NUTS level 2 regions, at 9.9 million head (or 7.5% of the EU total). The neighbouring region of Cataluña had the 2nd highest count, with 8.0 million head (or 6.1% of the EU total), while Castilla y León also ranked among the 10 EU regions with more than 2.5 million head of pigs.
In Germany, Niedersachsen had the 3rd largest pig population in the EU, with 7.0 million head (5.3% of the EU total). North Rhine-Westphalia also ranked among the principal pig-farming regions, with 5.8 million head. As mentioned above, please note the data for Germany refer to NUTS level 1 regions.
In Denmark, 2 regions from Jutland – Midtjylland (4.1 million head) and Syddanmark (3.4 million head) – are characterised by high-numbers of pigs.
Outside of Spain, Germany and Denmark, there were also relatively large pig-farming activities in Bretagne (north-west France), Noord-Brabant (the Netherlands) and Lombardia (northern Italy).

Map 2: Pigs
Source: Eurostat (agr_r_animal) and (apro_mt_lspig)

Young farm managers

Across the EU, agricultural holdings vary considerably, from small, semi-subsistence farms to large, intensive operations. These structural differences are often reflected in the way that farms are owned and managed: smaller farms tend to be family-run, while larger farms are typically overseen by professional managers employed by agricultural enterprises.

Farm managers are the people responsible for the normal daily financial and production routines of running a farm, such as what and how much to plant or rear and what labour, materials and equipment to employ. Often the farm manager is also the owner (otherwise referred to as the ‘holder’) of the farm but this need not be the case, especially when the farm has a separate legal identity.

Many farm managers in the EU work well beyond what would be a typical retirement age in other sectors of the economy. This slow pace of generational renewal may pose risks for the long-term sustainability of EU agriculture, potentially limiting innovation and productivity due to the lack of a more dynamic and diverse farm workforce.

In 2020, slightly more than 1 in 10 farm managers in the EU were under the age of 40

In 2020, there were 1.1 million farm managers in the EU that were younger than 40. By contrast, there were 3.0 million older farmers aged 65 or over. Younger farmers are more likely to manage medium-sized or large farms, which may reflect their higher levels of agricultural education and training, including exposure to modern and innovative practices. Conversely, older farm managers predominantly work on small or subsistence farms, which often yield low agricultural income.

The structural differences in agricultural holdings across EU regions are reflected in the distribution of young farm managers. The highest regional count was in the Romanian region of Nord-Est (64 000 young farm managers) with 3 other Romanian regions – Sud-Muntenia, Nord-Vest and Sud-Vest Oltenia – each reporting between 40 000 and 50 000 young farm managers. Outside of Romania, the highest numbers of young farm managers were found in the Polish regions of Mazowiecki regionalny (39 100) and Lubelskie (35 300).

In 2020, young farm managers accounted for 11.9% of all farm managers across the EU. Their share was noticeably higher in a broad area extending from France, through the Alps into Czechia, Slovakia and Poland. This pattern may reflect targeted policy support aimed at encouraging more young people into agriculture, including initiatives such as start-up grants, low interest loans, reduced land prices, support with land access, income support, training programmes, and opportunities to foster innovation and diversification. Notably, young farm managers were over-represented in organic farming: they accounted for 20.7% of organic farm managers across the EU (compared with 11.9% of all farm managers).

By contrast, the lowest shares of young farm managers were concentrated in southern EU countries. This may be linked to challenges in generational transition, such as financial barriers, limited access to land, capital and knowledge, declining rural fertility rates and the appeal of alternative career prospects. The share of young farm managers was also relatively low in several regions of Denmark and the Netherlands, where consolidation of farming may have created significant barriers to young people wishing to enter the industry.

Map 3 highlights the regional distribution of young farm managers in 2020. There were 31 NUTS level 2 regions where the share of young farm managers was at least 20.0% (as shown by the darkest shade of blue in Map 3). This group included:

8 out of 9 regions in Austria, with the capital region of Wien being the only exception
11 out of 17 regions in Poland
7 regions in France
3 regions in Czechia
2 regions in Slovakia.

In 2020, Oberösterreich in northern Austria (25.6%) and Franche-Comté in eastern France (25.5%) were the only regions in the EU where more than 1 in 4 farm managers were aged under 40. The next highest shares were close to this level and were recorded in the central Polish regions of Kujawsko-pomorskie (24.9%) and Wielkopolskie (24.5%), followed by the Austrian regions of Salzburg (24.3%) and Kärnten (23.8%).

Young farm managers were particularly scarce in southern EU countries. There were 29 regions across the EU where young farm managers accounted for fewer than 7.5% of all farm managers (as shown by the lightest shade of yellow in Map 3). This group was concentrated in Greece (9 regions) and Spain (6 regions), and also included 3 regions in Portugal and 2 in Italy; Cyprus likewise had a very low share of young farmers. Outside the southern EU regions, relatively low shares were also recorded in the capital regions of Denmark, Germany, Romania and Sweden, as well as in Sjælland (Denmark), Bremen (Germany), and the French outermost regions of Martinique and Mayotte.

By contrast, in the Portuguese regions of Algarve (60.8%) and Norte (50.4%), as well as the Spanish region of Comunitat Valenciana (50.1%), a majority of farm managers were aged 65 years or over. This top-heavy age structure underlines the policy relevance of farm succession.

Map 3: Young farm managers
Source: Eurostat (ef_m_farmang)

Economic situation of farms

Farming serves as the cornerstone of many rural economies, supporting both ‘upstream’ sectors (such as animal healthcare providers and wholesalers of agricultural inputs) and ‘downstream’ sectors (such as food processing, packaging and transport businesses). The economic accounts for agriculture (EAA) provide an overall picture of the performance of the EU’s agricultural industry.

In 2023, the EU’s agricultural industry generated output that was valued at €537.0 billion:

more than half of this total (50.9%) came from crop output (€273.6 billion), with cereals, vegetables and horticultural plants making the largest contributions
some 39.9% of the total came from animals and animal products (€214.2 billion), with milk and pigs providing the largest shares
the remaining 9.2% of output in the agricultural industry was relatively evenly split between agricultural services (€25.3 billion) and non-agricultural secondary activities (€23.9 billion).

More about the data: economic accounts for agriculture (EAA)

EAA provide detailed information about the agricultural industry, focusing on production processes and the income generated from them. As a satellite account to the European System of Accounts (ESA), the EAA adapts the general accounting concepts of the ESA to the specific characteristics of agriculture.

Primary production and secondary activities that contribute to a farm’s economic performance are classified as:

crop output – the value of sales from crop products, changes in stock levels and crop products used as animal feed, for processing or for the farm’s own final use (for example, seed, storage)
animal output – the value of sales from animals and animal products, changes in stock levels and animal products used for processing or for the farm’s own consumption (for example, animal feed, breeding stock)
agricultural services output – the value of services directly linked to a farm’s operations, such as renting machinery or providing custom services (for example, harvesting or irrigation)
non-agricultural secondary activities – the value of non-separable economic activities related to the farm but not strictly agricultural (for example, cheese-making, agritourism or renewable energy production from farm waste).

The EAA are compiled for NUTS level 2 regions, based on values at current prices. In this section, no regional statistics are available for Poland or Slovenia (they plan to provide this data towards the end of 2025); national data are presented instead. In Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland and Norway, the latest data refer to 2022 (instead of 2023).

The southern Spanish region of Andalucía had the highest value of crop output, at €13.1 billion in 2022

Map 4 illustrates both the overall level of crop output (depicted by the size of each circle) and the share of crop output within the agricultural industry (indicated by the colour of each circle) for NUTS level 2 regions. The patterns depicted in the map are shaped by a broad range of factors, including soil conditions, terrain, local economic structures, historical farming practices, climatic and environmental conditions. Regions with fertile soils, expansive plains and temperate climates tend to focus more on crop production. By contrast, regions characterised by less favourable growing conditions, poorer soil quality and/or hilly and mountainous terrain tend to focus more on livestock farming.

In 2023, the highest levels of crop output occurred in:

Andalucía in southern Spain (€13.1 billion; 2022 data)
Zuid-Holland in the west of the Netherlands (€5.8 billion; 2022 data)
Champagne-Ardenne in north-east France (€5.3 billion)
Veneto in north-east Italy (€5.2 billion; 2022 data).

Crop output accounted for more than half (50.9%) of the total output of the EU’s agricultural industry in 2023. The regional distribution of crop output was relatively even: in 126 out of 223 NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available (56.5% of all regions), the share of crop output exceeded the EU average.

Several eastern and Baltic EU countries reported relatively high shares of crop output within their respective agricultural industries. In 2022, every region in Bulgaria, Czechia and Lithuania, along with all but 1 region in Greece, Croatia, Romania and Slovakia (2023 data), recorded a crop output share above the EU average; this was also the case for Latvia and Slovenia (both national data; 2023 data).

Looking more closely at the relative importance of crop output, 6 regions reported that crops accounted for more than 85.0% of their agricultural industry output in 2023:

the Austrian capital region of Wien (95.1%); specialised in the production of grapes, fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers
the southern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (89.7%); specialised in the production of olives, grapes, fruit, vegetables and herbs
the south-western German region of Rheinhessen-Pfalz (89.5%; 2022 data); specialised in the production of cereals, grapes, fruit and vegetables
the southern Portuguese region of Algarve (88.8%); specialised in the production of citrus fruits, olives, grapes and vegetables
the French outermost region of Guyane (86.7%); which had a relatively small agricultural industry, with output valued at €165 million
the French capital region of Ile-de-France (85.9%); specialised in the production of cereals and vegetables/market gardening.

Map 4: Crop output
Source: Eurostat (agr_r_accts) and (aact_eaa01)

The north-western French region of Bretagne had the highest value of animal output, at €7.7 billion in 2023

Map 5 shows the overall level of animal output (represented by the size of each circle) and the share of animal output within the agricultural industry (indicated by the colour of each circle) for NUTS level 2 regions. The patterns shown in Map 5 tend to mirror those presented in Map 4; in other words, those regions that are specialised in either livestock farming or in crop farming tend to have a low degree of specialisation in the other type of farming.

In 2023, the highest levels of regional animal output occurred in:

Bretagne (€7.7 billion) and Pays de la Loire (€5.1 billion) in north-west France
Weser-Ems in north-west Germany (€6.8 billion; 2022 data)
Lombardia in northern Italy (€5.5 billion; 2022 data).

Animal output accounted for 39.9% of the total output of the EU’s agricultural industry in 2023. The regional distribution of animal output was relatively even: in 130 out of 223 NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available (58.3% of all regions), the share of animal output stood below the EU average.

Several temperate regions – particularly those bordering the Atlantic coast, which experience higher levels of rainfall – reported a high degree of specialisation in livestock farming; this pattern was also apparent in several northern and several hilly/mountainous regions. For example, animal output accounted for a high share of output in the agricultural industries of every region in Ireland, as well as in clusters of regions across north-west France, northern Spain (2022 data) and the Alps.

Looking more closely at the relative importance of animal output, 8 regions within the EU reported that animals accounted for more than 70.0% of the total output in their agricultural industries:

the Portuguese island region of Região Autónoma dos Açores (76.4%), specialised in the production of dairy products
the Irish regions of Northern and Western (76.3%) and Southern (75.2%), the former is specialised in cattle and sheep farming, while the latter is specialised in dairy farming
the German region of Weser-Ems (74.0%; 2022 data), specialised in pig farming
the Spanish regions of Cantabria and Principado de Asturias (72.6% and 70.6%, respectively; 2022 data), both specialised in cattle farming
the Hungarian capital region of Budapest (72.5%; 2022 data), which had a relatively small agricultural industry, with output valued at €19.3 million
the French region of Bretagne (70.1%), specialised in pig, poultry and dairy farming.

Map 5: Animal output
Source: Eurostat (agr_r_accts) and (aact_eaa01)

The western French region of Poitou-Charentes had the highest value of output for agricultural services and non-agricultural secondary activities, at €2.3 billion in 2023

Map 6 shows the overall level of output for agricultural services and non-agricultural secondary activities (represented by the size of each circle) and their share in the agricultural industry (indicated by the colour of each circle) for NUTS level 2 regions.

In 2023, the highest levels of regional output for agricultural services and non-agricultural secondary activities occurred across:

France, with the uppermost values in Poitou-Charentes (€2.3 billion), Champagne-Ardenne (€1.7 billion) and Bretagne (€1.0 billion)
Italy (2022 data), with peaks recorded in Emilia-Romagna (€1.4 billion), Lombardia (€1.4 billion) and Veneto (€1.0 billion).

In 2023, agricultural services and non-agricultural secondary activities contributed 9.2% of the EU’s output in the agricultural industry. The regional distribution was somewhat skewed: in 135 out of 223 NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available (60.5% of all regions), this share was below the EU average.

Several regions reported a relatively high contribution from agricultural services and non-agricultural secondary activities to the output of their agricultural industries. This pattern was most evident in Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Finland (all 2022 data), where every region recorded shares above the EU average, while the same was true for all but 1 region in Romania (2022 data) and Slovakia.

In 2023, 5 regions within the EU reported agricultural services and non-agricultural secondary activities accounting for more than 33.3% of all output in their agricultural industries:

Bucureşti-Ilfov, the Romanian capital region (56.4%; 2022 data)
Poitou-Charentes in France (40.2%)
Stockholm, the Swedish capital region (39.7%)
the Italian regions of Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen and Valle d’Aosta/Vallée d’Aoste (39.7% and 39.1%, respectively; both 2022 data).

In these 5 regions, non-agricultural secondary activities generally accounted for a higher level of output than agricultural services. For example:

in Stockholm, the output of non-agricultural secondary activities was 18 times as high as that for agricultural services, while in Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen, output of non-agricultural secondary activities was 7 times as high
the only exception was Bucureşti-Ilfov, where the value of output from agricultural services was 45 times as high as that of non-agricultural secondary activities.

Map 6: Agricultural services output and secondary activities
Source: Eurostat (agr_r_accts) and (aact_eaa01)

Source data for tables and graphs

Download Excel file

Data sources

Livestock statistics

Livestock and meat statistics are collected under Regulation (EC) No 1165/2008 concerning livestock and meat statistics; it has been repealed by Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 on statistics in agricultural input and output, although the new legislation only applies to reference periods from 2025 onwards.

Livestock surveys may be conducted independently by livestock category or as a subset of a survey with wider scope. The minimal coverage for sample surveys is of at least 95% of the national population with reference to the last survey on the structure of agricultural holdings (otherwise known as the farm structure survey).

Agricultural census – farm managers

EU countries carry out an agricultural census every 10 years, as promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Within the EU, the legal basis for the collection of agricultural census data is provided by Regulation (EU) No 2018/1091 on integrated farm statistics. It defines a list of core variables alongside more extensive provisions to collect additional variables through a set of modules as defined within Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1874 on the data to be provided for 2020 on integrated farm statistics.

Each country is allowed, in line with the legislation, to set up thresholds that may exclude very small agricultural holdings, as long as the conditions for minimum coverage are guaranteed. The standard threshold for the utilised agricultural area is 5 hectares, while that for livestock is 1.7 livestock units.

The latest agricultural census was conducted in 2020/21. It covered approximately 300 variables spanning a broad range of topics, including general characteristics of farms and farm managers, land use and livestock, the agricultural labour force, animal housing and manure management, and support measures for rural development. Data from the census may help frame policy debates, answering questions such as:

who will farm in the future given the large share of older farm managers?
how many women are farming?
is agriculture becoming dominated by big business?
is organic farming expanding?

Data from the agricultural census may be used by the public, researchers, farm owners, farm managers and policymakers to better understand the state of EU farming and the impact of agriculture on the environment. These statistics track changes in the agricultural industry and provide a basis for decision-making within the CAP and other EU policy areas.

Economic accounts for agriculture

Economic accounts for agriculture provide detailed information on the economic performance of agricultural activities. The purpose of these statistics is to evaluate the production process of the agricultural industry and the primary income generated by this production.

Regional economic accounts for agriculture are presented in current prices. The main indicators include the value of output (measured in both producer prices and basic prices), intermediate consumption, subsidies and taxes, consumption of fixed capital, rent and interest, and capital formation.

The legal basis for the collection of data on agricultural accounts is provided by Regulation (EC) No 138/2004 on the economic accounts for agriculture. This focuses primarily on collection of national data. Regional information became mandatory from 2021. Poland and Slovenia received a derogation for the full set of regional accounts until the end of September 2025 (therefore, national data are presented for both of these countries).

Eurostat drafted a Strategy for agricultural statistics for 2020 and beyond in close collaboration with the main data users and producers of agricultural statistics. The strategy aims to:

efficiently produce statistics which meet users’ needs
not significantly increase the burden on respondents and on statistical systems, while making more statistics available
improve the coherence between the agricultural statistics sub-domains
clarify and streamline concepts and definitions
improve the quality of agricultural statistics
improve integration between agricultural, forestry, land use and environmental statistics
increase the flexibility and reaction speed of the statistical system allowing easier introduction of adaptations to new needs, statistics and methodological approaches for supporting better policy-making and decision processes
develop a responsive and responsible governance structure for agricultural statistics.

Indicator definitions

Bovine animals

Bovine animals are domestic animals of the species Bos taurus and Bubalus bubalis, including hybrids like Beefalo.

Pig

A pig is a domestic animal of the species Sus scrofa domesticus Erxleben.

Farm manager

A farm manager is the natural person responsible for the normal daily financial and production routines of running an agricultural holding. Agricultural holdings normally have only 1 manager but it is possible for there to be co-managers, for example if the holder shares the management with a spouse or other family member.

Young farm managers are defined as farm managers under the age of 40 years.

Crop output

Crop output comprises sales, changes in stock levels, and crop products used as animal feedstuffs, or for processing and own final use by the producers.

Animal output

Animal output comprises the sales, changes in stock levels, and the products used for processing and own final use by the producers.

Context

Common agricultural policy (CAP)

The CAP is among the EU’s oldest policies, supporting agriculture and contributing to Europe’s food security. It aims to:

support farms and improve agricultural productivity so that consumers have a stable supply of affordable food
ensure that EU farmers can make a reasonable living
help tackle climate change and the sustainable management of natural resources
maintain rural areas and landscapes across the EU
keep the rural economy alive, promoting jobs in farming, agri-food industries and associated sectors.

At the end of 2021, a political agreement was reached on a common agricultural policy for the period 2023–27. It entered into force on 1 January 2023, paving the way for a fairer, greener and more performance-based CAP.

Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy is designed to make the CAP more responsive to future challenges, while continuing to support EU farms for a sustainable and competitive agricultural sector. This modernised agricultural policy is built around 10 specific objectives that are focused on social, environmental and economic goals:

to ensure a fair income for farms
to increase competitiveness
to improve the position of farms in the food chain
climate change action
environmental care
to preserve landscapes and biodiversity
to support generational renewal
vibrant rural areas
to protect food and health quality
to foster knowledge and innovation.

At the end of 2023, the European Commission submitted a report, providing a Summary of CAP Strategic Plans for 2023–27: joint effort and collective ambition. The European Commission has also created an online dashboard to present target national values that have been set as part of these strategic plans.

The EU has budgeted €387 billion of funding for the CAP as part of its long-term budget, the multiannual financial framework (2021 to 2027). This comes from 2 different funds: €291 billion from the European agricultural guarantee fund (EAGF) and €96 billion from the European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD), the latter including €8 billion allocated as part of the European Recovery Instrument (also known as NextGenerationEU). This funding is intended to encourage farmers to help deliver a green transition in agriculture and rural areas, while providing support for reforms considered essential to Europe’s ambitious environmental targets.

The CAP includes several interventions specifically targeting young farmers. They are tailored to the national conditions of each EU country and developed within their strategic plans. At least 3% of each country’s budget for direct payments must go to support for young farmers. Young farmers may benefit from a combination of several interventions/actions including:

complementary income support for young farmers
support for the establishment of young farmers, new farmers and rural business start-ups.

European Green Deal

The European Green Deal is the EU’s strategy for sustainable growth; it aims to turn climatic and environmental challenges into opportunities for a broad range of policy areas. The CAP plays a part in this transition, as approximately 40% of its budget is climate relevant.

The European agriculture and food system, supported by the CAP, is already a global standard in terms of safety, security of supply, nutrition and quality. New policy developments are designed to ensure that the EU’s agriculture sector becomes a global standard for sustainability, bringing environmental, health and social benefits, by encouraging farm managers to contribute towards its climatic and environmental ambitions. The EU’s goals are to:

ensure food security in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss
reduce the environmental and climate footprint of the EU’s food system
strengthen the resilience of the EU’s food system
lead a global transition towards competitive sustainability from farm to fork.

In May 2020, the European Commission released a staff working document that provided an Analysis of links between the CAP reform and the Green Deal (SWD(2020) 93 final). At the same time, the Commission adopted a farm to fork strategy, a biodiversity strategy, an action plan for the circular economy and a proposal for a climate law. European Commission services identified potential obstacles and/or gaps jeopardising the European Green Deal and laid out a number of steps needed to align the CAP fully with the deal (and its associated strategies).

Farm to fork strategy

A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system (COM(2020) 381 final) lies at the heart of the European Green Deal. It has several wide-ranging aims, including to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of natural resources; protect the environment and reverse biodiversity loss; promote fairer economic returns for those in the supply chain (particularly primary producers); and increase the level of organic farming.

With this in mind, the strategy includes a number of targets designed to transform food systems across the EU by 2030. For example, it aims to increase the share of agricultural land in the EU used for organic farming to at least 25%, reduce by at least 50% the use of chemicals and more hazardous pesticides, and reduce by at least 20% the use of fertilisers. By making food systems environmentally friendlier, fairer, healthier and more sustainable, the EU’s farm to fork strategy seeks to accelerate the EU’s green transition.

Biodiversity strategy

The EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030 – Bringing nature back into our lives (COM(2020) 380 final) is a comprehensive and long-term plan to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems (in particular those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent/reduce the impact of natural disasters). It seeks to put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030, while building resilience to future threats such as the impacts of climate change, forest fires, food insecurity and disease outbreaks. As part of the strategy:

the EU will expand Natura 2000 sites to protect areas with high biodiversity and climate value (see the environment chapter for statistics about this topic)
the Nature Restoration Law sets binding targets for recovering habitats and species across the EU; it also focuses on unlocking biodiversity funding, strengthening governance and integrating nature into public and business decisions.

A Vision for Agriculture and Food

In February 2025, the European Commission unveiled a Vision for Agriculture and Food – Shaping the future of farming and the agri-food sector for future generations in Europe (COM(2025) 75 final). It seeks to foster trust and dialogue across the entire value chain through close engagement with relevant institutions, farmers, food chain operators and civil society.

The vision aims to create a sustainable, resilient and competitive agri-food sector that supports farmers while protecting the environment. Key goals include promoting innovation and digitalisation, ensuring fair incomes for farmers and enhancing food security. The vision also seeks to eliminate unfair trading practices and propose a fairer, simpler and more targeted CAP. Additionally, it plans to develop a generational renewal strategy for farming, alongside a bioeconomy strategy. By fostering collaboration, research, and policy support, the EU aims to balance productivity with sustainability, ensuring the sector can meet future challenges and provide safe, affordable food for all Europeans.

This article forms part of Eurostat’s annual flagship publication, the Eurostat regional yearbook.

You can explore the maps interactively using Eurostat’s Statistical Atlas.

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Database

Regional statistics by NUTS classification (reg), see

Regional agriculture statistics (reg_agr)

Structure of agricultural holdings (reg_ef)

Agricultural production (reg_apro)

Economic accounts for agriculture by NUTS 2 regions (agr_r_accts)

Agriculture (agr), see

Farm structure (ef)

Main farm indicators by NUTS 2 regions (ef_mainfarm)

Farm livestock (ef_livestock)

Management and practices (ef_mp)

Economic accounts for agriculture (aact)

Economic accounts for agriculture (aact_eaa)

Thematic section

Publications

Paper and PDF publications

Key figures on the European food chain – 2024 edition
Eurostat regional yearbook – 2025 edition

Online publications

Selected datasets

Regional statistics (t_reg), see

Regional agriculture statistics (t_reg_agr)

Agriculture (t_agr), see

Economic accounts for agriculture (t_aact)

Methodology

Manuals and further methodological information

Metadata

Animal production (ESMS metadata file – apro_anip)
Economic accounts for agriculture (ESMS metadata file – aact_esms)
Farm structure (ESMS metadata file – ef_sims)

External links

Agriculture and rural development (European Commission – Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development)
European Commission – Biodiversity strategy
European Commission – Food, Farming, Fisheries, see
European Commission – Geographical indications and quality schemes explained
European Commission – The common agricultural policy: 2023–27
European Commission – The European Green Deal

Legislation

Surveys on agricultural production are governed by

Regulation (EC) No 1165/2008 concerning livestock and meat statistics

Surveys on the structure of agricultural holdings are governed by

Regulation (EC) No 2018/1091 of 18 July 2018 on integrated farm statistics
Summaries of EU Legislation: EU integrated farm statistics

Surveys on economic accounts for agriculture are governed by

Regulation (EC) No 138/2004 of 5 December 2003 on the economic accounts for agriculture in the Community, amended on 7 different occasions. Regional data are provided on the basis of a gentlemen’s agreement.

Visualisation