Spain vs United Kingdom: Land use over the long-term
Spain
10.13 million hectares
in 2025
United Kingdom
10.58 million hectares
in 2025
Spain rank
51st
United Kingdom rank
48th
Land use over the long-term over time
- Spain
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 10.58 million hectares against 10.13 million hectares in Spain, a difference of 447,500 hectares.
The two have swapped places 15 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Spain ahead.
Spain ranks 51st and United Kingdom ranks 48th of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, Spain averaged higher in 16 and United Kingdom in 24.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Spain | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 2.48 million hectares | 1.66 million hectares | 814,710 hectares | Spain |
| 1100s | 2.73 million hectares | 2.41 million hectares | 327,600 hectares | Spain |
| 1200s | 3.27 million hectares | 3.31 million hectares | 39,770 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1300s | 4.36 million hectares | 4.42 million hectares | 60,750 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1400s | 3.11 million hectares | 2.97 million hectares | 141,230 hectares | Spain |
| 1500s | 3.56 million hectares | 4.06 million hectares | 492,010 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1600s | 4.49 million hectares | 3.30 million hectares | 1.19 million hectares | Spain |
| 1700s | 4.05 million hectares | 4.02 million hectares | 29,660 hectares | Spain |
| 1710s | 4.54 million hectares | 4.31 million hectares | 229,810 hectares | Spain |
| 1720s | 4.64 million hectares | 4.61 million hectares | 34,730 hectares | Spain |
| 1730s | 4.75 million hectares | 4.87 million hectares | 120,730 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1740s | 4.85 million hectares | 5.20 million hectares | 349,280 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1750s | 4.96 million hectares | 5.53 million hectares | 566,750 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1760s | 5.07 million hectares | 5.66 million hectares | 592,090 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1770s | 5.18 million hectares | 5.78 million hectares | 603,810 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1780s | 5.29 million hectares | 5.88 million hectares | 594,500 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1790s | 5.40 million hectares | 5.68 million hectares | 275,230 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1800s | 5.52 million hectares | 5.43 million hectares | 86,410 hectares | Spain |
| 1810s | 5.63 million hectares | 4.75 million hectares | 884,680 hectares | Spain |
| 1820s | 5.75 million hectares | 5.47 million hectares | 278,510 hectares | Spain |
| 1830s | 6.10 million hectares | 5.57 million hectares | 524,810 hectares | Spain |
| 1840s | 6.04 million hectares | 6.60 million hectares | 558,870 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1850s | 6.54 million hectares | 5.09 million hectares | 1.46 million hectares | Spain |
| 1860s | 7.15 million hectares | 4.28 million hectares | 2.88 million hectares | Spain |
| 1870s | 7.47 million hectares | 5.60 million hectares | 1.87 million hectares | Spain |
| 1880s | 7.80 million hectares | 6.43 million hectares | 1.37 million hectares | Spain |
| 1890s | 8.09 million hectares | 7.24 million hectares | 844,770 hectares | Spain |
| 1900s | 8.19 million hectares | 8.20 million hectares | 9,550 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1910s | 8.68 million hectares | 9.17 million hectares | 489,210 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1920s | 9.18 million hectares | 9.79 million hectares | 604,680 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1930s | 10.04 million hectares | 10.40 million hectares | 355,300 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 10.90 million hectares | 10.95 million hectares | 52,300 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 12.00 million hectares | 12.02 million hectares | 23,560 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 12.14 million hectares | 12.26 million hectares | 117,700 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 11.17 million hectares | 11.55 million hectares | 388,600 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 10.38 million hectares | 11.29 million hectares | 906,700 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 10.78 million hectares | 11.36 million hectares | 581,700 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 11.13 million hectares | 11.31 million hectares | 177,500 hectares | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 9.55 million hectares | 11.14 million hectares | 1.59 million hectares | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 9.84 million hectares | 10.88 million hectares | 1.04 million hectares | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land use over the long-term, Spain or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 10.58 million hectares against 10.13 million hectares in Spain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in land use over the long-term between Spain and United Kingdom?
- 447,500 hectares, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Kingdom?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do Spain and United Kingdom rank globally for land use over the long-term?
- Spain ranks 51st and United Kingdom ranks 48th of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Land use over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total grazingland area for each separate country over time.