Land use over the long-term in France
France: Land use over the long-term was 7.73 million hectares in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
7.73 million hectares
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
57th
of 202 countries
All-time high
29.74 million hectares
in 1300
All-time low
7.73 million hectares
in 2025
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Land use over the long-term in France, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, land use over the long-term in France stood at 7.73 million hectares. That is the lowest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and down 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use over the long-term in France peaked at 29.74 million hectares in 1300 and was at its lowest, 7.73 million hectares, in 2025.
That places France 57th out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 108 years of available data.
Land use over the long-term in France, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 16.33 million hectares | — |
| 1100 | 24.73 million hectares | +51.5% |
| 1200 | 26.46 million hectares | +7.0% |
| 1300 | 29.74 million hectares | +12.4% |
| 1400 | 23.73 million hectares | -20.2% |
| 1500 | 23.31 million hectares | -1.8% |
| 1600 | 23.38 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1700 | 27.27 million hectares | +16.6% |
| 1710 | 25.88 million hectares | -5.1% |
| 1720 | 24.36 million hectares | -5.8% |
| 1730 | 22.74 million hectares | -6.7% |
| 1740 | 21.00 million hectares | -7.7% |
| 1750 | 19.15 million hectares | -8.8% |
| 1760 | 18.74 million hectares | -2.1% |
| 1770 | 18.29 million hectares | -2.4% |
| 1780 | 17.80 million hectares | -2.7% |
| 1790 | 17.27 million hectares | -3.0% |
| 1800 | 16.71 million hectares | -3.3% |
| 1810 | 17.31 million hectares | +3.6% |
| 1820 | 17.68 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1830 | 17.75 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1840 | 17.95 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1850 | 18.08 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1860 | 17.77 million hectares | -1.7% |
| 1870 | 17.32 million hectares | -2.5% |
| 1880 | 17.13 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 1890 | 16.75 million hectares | -2.2% |
| 1900 | 16.27 million hectares | -2.9% |
| 1910 | 15.75 million hectares | -3.1% |
| 1920 | 14.23 million hectares | -9.7% |
| 1930 | 14.19 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1940 | 13.28 million hectares | -6.4% |
| 1950 | 12.67 million hectares | -4.6% |
| 1951 | 12.64 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1952 | 12.64 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 12.67 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1954 | 12.70 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1955 | 12.73 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1956 | 12.77 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 12.81 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1958 | 12.85 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 12.90 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1960 | 13.13 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 1961 | 13.13 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 13.12 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 13.11 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 13.28 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 13.46 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 13.63 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 13.81 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 13.88 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 13.91 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 13.39 million hectares | -3.7% |
| 1971 | 13.93 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 13.88 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 13.76 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 13.55 million hectares | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 13.40 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 13.28 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 13.07 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 12.99 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 12.91 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 12.85 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 12.77 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 12.62 million hectares | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 12.54 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 12.36 million hectares | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 12.20 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 12.09 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 11.89 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 11.78 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 11.81 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 11.60 million hectares | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 11.45 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 11.33 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 11.06 million hectares | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 10.92 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 10.80 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 10.73 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 10.62 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 10.52 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 10.43 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 10.31 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 10.23 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 10.11 million hectares | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 10.06 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 9.98 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 9.90 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 9.88 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 9.85 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 9.79 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 9.74 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 9.61 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 9.60 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 9.56 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 9.47 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 9.44 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 9.26 million hectares | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 9.37 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 9.23 million hectares | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 9.53 million hectares | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 9.55 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 8.75 million hectares | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 8.74 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 8.62 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 8.25 million hectares | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 7.99 million hectares | -3.2% |
| 2025 | 7.73 million hectares | -3.3% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 7.73 million hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 395,224 hectares, 19.5× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- France's 7.73 million hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.16 million hectares, 6.6× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land use over the long-term in France changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +51.5% | 16.33 million hectares | 24.73 million hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 16.33 million hectares | 16.33 million hectares | 16.33 million hectares | 1 |
| 1100s | 24.73 million hectares | 24.73 million hectares | 24.73 million hectares | 1 |
| 1200s | 26.46 million hectares | 26.46 million hectares | 26.46 million hectares | 1 |
| 1300s | 29.74 million hectares | 29.74 million hectares | 29.74 million hectares | 1 |
| 1400s | 23.73 million hectares | 23.73 million hectares | 23.73 million hectares | 1 |
| 1500s | 23.31 million hectares | 23.31 million hectares | 23.31 million hectares | 1 |
| 1600s | 23.38 million hectares | 23.38 million hectares | 23.38 million hectares | 1 |
| 1700s | 27.27 million hectares | 27.27 million hectares | 27.27 million hectares | 1 |
| 1710s | 25.88 million hectares | 25.88 million hectares | 25.88 million hectares | 1 |
| 1720s | 24.36 million hectares | 24.36 million hectares | 24.36 million hectares | 1 |
| 1730s | 22.74 million hectares | 22.74 million hectares | 22.74 million hectares | 1 |
| 1740s | 21.00 million hectares | 21.00 million hectares | 21.00 million hectares | 1 |
| 1750s | 19.15 million hectares | 19.15 million hectares | 19.15 million hectares | 1 |
| 1760s | 18.74 million hectares | 18.74 million hectares | 18.74 million hectares | 1 |
| 1770s | 18.29 million hectares | 18.29 million hectares | 18.29 million hectares | 1 |
| 1780s | 17.80 million hectares | 17.80 million hectares | 17.80 million hectares | 1 |
| 1790s | 17.27 million hectares | 17.27 million hectares | 17.27 million hectares | 1 |
| 1800s | 16.71 million hectares | 16.71 million hectares | 16.71 million hectares | 1 |
| 1810s | 17.31 million hectares | 17.31 million hectares | 17.31 million hectares | 1 |
| 1820s | 17.68 million hectares | 17.68 million hectares | 17.68 million hectares | 1 |
| 1830s | 17.75 million hectares | 17.75 million hectares | 17.75 million hectares | 1 |
| 1840s | 17.95 million hectares | 17.95 million hectares | 17.95 million hectares | 1 |
| 1850s | 18.08 million hectares | 18.08 million hectares | 18.08 million hectares | 1 |
| 1860s | 17.77 million hectares | 17.77 million hectares | 17.77 million hectares | 1 |
| 1870s | 17.32 million hectares | 17.32 million hectares | 17.32 million hectares | 1 |
| 1880s | 17.13 million hectares | 17.13 million hectares | 17.13 million hectares | 1 |
| 1890s | 16.75 million hectares | 16.75 million hectares | 16.75 million hectares | 1 |
| 1900s | 16.27 million hectares | 16.27 million hectares | 16.27 million hectares | 1 |
| 1910s | 15.75 million hectares | 15.75 million hectares | 15.75 million hectares | 1 |
| 1920s | 14.23 million hectares | 14.23 million hectares | 14.23 million hectares | 1 |
| 1930s | 14.19 million hectares | 14.19 million hectares | 14.19 million hectares | 1 |
| 1940s | 13.28 million hectares | 13.28 million hectares | 13.28 million hectares | 1 |
| 1950s | 12.74 million hectares | 12.64 million hectares | 12.90 million hectares | 10 |
| 1960s | 13.45 million hectares | 13.11 million hectares | 13.91 million hectares | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.42 million hectares | 12.91 million hectares | 13.93 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.29 million hectares | 11.78 million hectares | 12.85 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.95 million hectares | 10.43 million hectares | 11.60 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.99 million hectares | 9.74 million hectares | 10.31 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.46 million hectares | 9.23 million hectares | 9.61 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.35 million hectares | 7.73 million hectares | 8.75 million hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near France
More environment data for France
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.427 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.31 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.1777 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use over the long-term in France?
- Land use over the long-term in France was 7.73 million hectares in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use over the long-term recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 29.74 million hectares in 1300.
- What is the lowest land use over the long-term recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.73 million hectares in 2025.
- How does France rank for land use over the long-term?
- France ranks 57th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is land use over the long-term rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use over the long-term. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total grazingland area for each separate country over time.