How does Ireland rank for share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures?

Ireland ranks 15th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.

Is share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures rising or falling in Ireland?

Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. 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 Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland

Name: Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland
Creator: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Ireland: Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures was 54.42 percent in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

54.42 percent

Change on year

down 3.9%

World rank

15th

of 209 countries

All-time high

63.53 percent

in 1974

All-time low

54.42 percent

in 2023

Years of data

1961–2023

Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland, 1961–2023

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 Ireland stood at 54.42 percent. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.

The figure is down 3.9% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland peaked at 63.53 percent in 1974 and was at its lowest, 54.42 percent, in 2023.

Ireland ranks 15th of 209 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.

Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland, 1961 to 2023.
Year	percent	Change
1961	56.66 percent	—
1962	57.54 percent	+1.6%
1963	58.05 percent	+0.9%
1964	59.09 percent	+1.8%
1965	60.06 percent	+1.6%
1966	61.51 percent	+2.4%
1967	61.71 percent	+0.3%
1968	61.99 percent	+0.5%
1969	62.38 percent	+0.6%
1970	61.82 percent	-0.9%
1971	62.22 percent	+0.6%
1972	62.65 percent	+0.7%
1973	63.26 percent	+1.0%
1974	63.53 percent	+0.4%
1975	63.52 percent	-0.0%
1976	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1977	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1978	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1979	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1980	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1981	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1982	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1983	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1984	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1985	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1986	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1987	63.52 percent	+0.0%
1988	63.53 percent	+0.0%
1989	61.83 percent	-2.7%
1990	60.09 percent	-2.8%
1991	58.79 percent	-2.2%
1992	58.36 percent	-0.7%
1993	58.07 percent	-0.5%
1994	57.92 percent	-0.3%
1995	57.91 percent	-0.0%
1996	57.12 percent	-1.4%
1997	57.02 percent	-0.2%
1998	56.91 percent	-0.2%
1999	56.81 percent	-0.2%
2000	56.7 percent	-0.2%
2001	56.59 percent	-0.2%
2002	55.93 percent	-1.2%
2003	55.69 percent	-0.4%
2004	54.89 percent	-1.4%
2005	55.31 percent	+0.8%
2006	55.01 percent	-0.5%
2007	55.27 percent	+0.5%
2008	60.11 percent	+8.8%
2009	59.93 percent	-0.3%
2010	59.91 percent	-0.0%
2011	59.44 percent	-0.8%
2012	58.78 percent	-1.1%
2013	58.09 percent	-1.2%
2014	58.06 percent	-0.1%
2015	57.72 percent	-0.6%
2016	58.05 percent	+0.6%
2017	58.46 percent	+0.7%
2018	58.99 percent	+0.9%
2019	59.22 percent	+0.4%
2020	59.04 percent	-0.3%
2021	56.63 percent	-4.1%
2022	56.63 percent	+0.0%
2023	54.42 percent	-3.9%

Ireland compared with similar countries

Ireland's 54.42 percent is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.66 percent, 5.6× the median. (71 countries reporting)
Ireland's 54.42 percent is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15.31 percent, 3.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	59.89 percent	56.66 percent	62.38 percent	9
1970s	63.11 percent	61.82 percent	63.53 percent	10
1980s	63.35 percent	61.83 percent	63.53 percent	10
1990s	57.9 percent	56.81 percent	60.09 percent	10
2000s	56.54 percent	54.89 percent	60.11 percent	10
2010s	58.67 percent	57.72 percent	59.91 percent	10
2020s	56.68 percent	54.42 percent	59.04 percent	4

Countries ranked near Ireland

12 Madagascar 64.1 percent compare
13 Eswatini 58.14 percent compare
14 Eritrea 56.94 percent compare
16 Sudan 48.96 percent compare
17 Uzbekistan 47.92 percent compare
18 Morocco 47.05 percent compare

See the full ranking of 210 places →

More reference data data for Ireland

Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.19 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.37 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0921 (2050)
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.37 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.87 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.37 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.6 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.02 (2050)
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5015 (2050)

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland?: Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland was 54.42 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 Ireland?: The highest recorded value was 63.53 percent in 1974.
What is the lowest share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures recorded in Ireland?: The lowest recorded value was 54.42 percent in 2023.
How does Ireland rank for share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures?: Ireland ranks 15th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures rising or falling in Ireland?: Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. 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 Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/area-meadows-and-pastures/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator: Share of land used for permanent meadows and pastures
Unit: percent
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 210 places, 12,094 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

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).