Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Belgium
Belgium: Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures was 15.31 percent in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Belgium, 2000–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
In 2023, share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Belgium stood at 15.31 percent. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Belgium peaked at 17.67 percent in 2002 and was at its lowest, 15.31 percent, in 2023.
Belgium ranks 99th of 209 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Belgium, year by year
| Year | percent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.71 percent | — |
| 2001 | 17.18 percent | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 17.67 percent | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 17.67 percent | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 17.47 percent | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 17.11 percent | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 17.04 percent | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 16.71 percent | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 16.48 percent | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 16.55 percent | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 16.48 percent | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 16.12 percent | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 16.71 percent | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 16.42 percent | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 16.22 percent | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 15.69 percent | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 15.77 percent | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 15.43 percent | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 15.74 percent | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 15.59 percent | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 15.61 percent | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 15.62 percent | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 15.47 percent | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 15.31 percent | -1.0% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 15.31 percent is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.66 percent, 1.6× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 15.31 percent is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15.31 percent, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.06 percent | 16.48 percent | 17.67 percent | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.02 percent | 15.43 percent | 16.71 percent | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.5 percent | 15.31 percent | 15.62 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 97 Romania 16.96 percent compare
- 98 Rwanda 15.65 percent compare
- 100 El Salvador 15.19 percent compare
- 101 Iceland 15.05 percent compare
- 102 Guadeloupe 14.94 percent compare
More reference data data for Belgium
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9298 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1382 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7526 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Belgium?
- Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Belgium was 15.31 percent in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 17.67 percent in 2002.
- What is the lowest share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.31 percent in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures?
- Belgium ranks 99th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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 Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Permanent meadows and pastures are areas used permanently (five years or more) for herbaceous forage crops, either cultivated or growing wild (wild prairie or grazing land).