Land use over the long-term in Portugal
Portugal: Land use over the long-term was 2.24 million hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2.24 million hectares
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
81st
of 202 countries
All-time high
2.24 million hectares
in 2025
All-time low
238,252 hectares
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Land use over the long-term in Portugal, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land use over the long-term in Portugal is 2.24 million hectares, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use over the long-term in Portugal peaked at 2.24 million hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 238,252 hectares, in 1000.
That places Portugal 81st out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Land use over the long-term in Portugal, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 238,252 hectares | — |
| 1100 | 287,208 hectares | +20.5% |
| 1200 | 330,904 hectares | +15.2% |
| 1300 | 438,764 hectares | +32.6% |
| 1400 | 299,339 hectares | -31.8% |
| 1500 | 410,251 hectares | +37.1% |
| 1600 | 604,209 hectares | +47.3% |
| 1700 | 560,041 hectares | -7.3% |
| 1710 | 719,569 hectares | +28.5% |
| 1720 | 733,665 hectares | +2.0% |
| 1730 | 739,257 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1740 | 744,448 hectares | +0.7% |
| 1750 | 749,193 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1760 | 754,477 hectares | +0.7% |
| 1770 | 759,169 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1780 | 763,200 hectares | +0.5% |
| 1790 | 766,492 hectares | +0.4% |
| 1800 | 768,956 hectares | +0.3% |
| 1810 | 768,788 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1820 | 767,835 hectares | -0.1% |
| 1830 | 790,841 hectares | +3.0% |
| 1840 | 814,748 hectares | +3.0% |
| 1850 | 814,468 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1860 | 850,596 hectares | +4.4% |
| 1870 | 892,755 hectares | +5.0% |
| 1880 | 935,305 hectares | +4.8% |
| 1890 | 989,686 hectares | +5.8% |
| 1900 | 1.01 million hectares | +2.5% |
| 1910 | 1.05 million hectares | +3.3% |
| 1920 | 1.01 million hectares | -3.4% |
| 1930 | 1.02 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1940 | 1.04 million hectares | +2.5% |
| 1950 | 998,981 hectares | -4.3% |
| 1951 | 983,924 hectares | -1.5% |
| 1952 | 971,437 hectares | -1.3% |
| 1953 | 959,917 hectares | -1.2% |
| 1954 | 948,109 hectares | -1.2% |
| 1955 | 935,080 hectares | -1.4% |
| 1956 | 920,210 hectares | -1.6% |
| 1957 | 903,146 hectares | -1.9% |
| 1958 | 883,755 hectares | -2.1% |
| 1959 | 862,043 hectares | -2.5% |
| 1960 | 838,000 hectares | -2.8% |
| 1961 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 837,999 hectares | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 838,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 962,000 hectares | +14.8% |
| 1994 | 1.00 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 1.02 million hectares | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 1.00 million hectares | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 992,000 hectares | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 1.21 million hectares | +22.4% |
| 1999 | 1.44 million hectares | +18.3% |
| 2000 | 1.42 million hectares | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 1.44 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 1.47 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 1.50 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 1.63 million hectares | +9.1% |
| 2005 | 1.77 million hectares | +8.4% |
| 2006 | 1.77 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 1.78 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.78 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 1.78 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.79 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 1.80 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 1.81 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.82 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 1.82 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.82 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.88 million hectares | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 1.93 million hectares | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 1.99 million hectares | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 2.09 million hectares | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 2.11 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 2.13 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 2.12 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 2.18 million hectares | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 2.21 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 2.24 million hectares | +1.3% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 2.24 million hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 395,224 hectares, 5.7× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 2.24 million hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.16 million hectares, 1.9× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land use over the long-term in Portugal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1600 | +47.3% | 410,251 hectares | 604,209 hectares |
| 1500 | +37.1% | 299,339 hectares | 410,251 hectares |
| 1300 | +32.6% | 330,904 hectares | 438,764 hectares |
| 1400 | -31.8% | 438,764 hectares | 299,339 hectares |
| 1710 | +28.5% | 560,041 hectares | 719,569 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 238,252 hectares | 238,252 hectares | 238,252 hectares | 1 |
| 1100s | 287,208 hectares | 287,208 hectares | 287,208 hectares | 1 |
| 1200s | 330,904 hectares | 330,904 hectares | 330,904 hectares | 1 |
| 1300s | 438,764 hectares | 438,764 hectares | 438,764 hectares | 1 |
| 1400s | 299,339 hectares | 299,339 hectares | 299,339 hectares | 1 |
| 1500s | 410,251 hectares | 410,251 hectares | 410,251 hectares | 1 |
| 1600s | 604,209 hectares | 604,209 hectares | 604,209 hectares | 1 |
| 1700s | 560,041 hectares | 560,041 hectares | 560,041 hectares | 1 |
| 1710s | 719,569 hectares | 719,569 hectares | 719,569 hectares | 1 |
| 1720s | 733,665 hectares | 733,665 hectares | 733,665 hectares | 1 |
| 1730s | 739,257 hectares | 739,257 hectares | 739,257 hectares | 1 |
| 1740s | 744,448 hectares | 744,448 hectares | 744,448 hectares | 1 |
| 1750s | 749,193 hectares | 749,193 hectares | 749,193 hectares | 1 |
| 1760s | 754,477 hectares | 754,477 hectares | 754,477 hectares | 1 |
| 1770s | 759,169 hectares | 759,169 hectares | 759,169 hectares | 1 |
| 1780s | 763,200 hectares | 763,200 hectares | 763,200 hectares | 1 |
| 1790s | 766,492 hectares | 766,492 hectares | 766,492 hectares | 1 |
| 1800s | 768,956 hectares | 768,956 hectares | 768,956 hectares | 1 |
| 1810s | 768,788 hectares | 768,788 hectares | 768,788 hectares | 1 |
| 1820s | 767,835 hectares | 767,835 hectares | 767,835 hectares | 1 |
| 1830s | 790,841 hectares | 790,841 hectares | 790,841 hectares | 1 |
| 1840s | 814,748 hectares | 814,748 hectares | 814,748 hectares | 1 |
| 1850s | 814,468 hectares | 814,468 hectares | 814,468 hectares | 1 |
| 1860s | 850,596 hectares | 850,596 hectares | 850,596 hectares | 1 |
| 1870s | 892,755 hectares | 892,755 hectares | 892,755 hectares | 1 |
| 1880s | 935,305 hectares | 935,305 hectares | 935,305 hectares | 1 |
| 1890s | 989,686 hectares | 989,686 hectares | 989,686 hectares | 1 |
| 1900s | 1.01 million hectares | 1.01 million hectares | 1.01 million hectares | 1 |
| 1910s | 1.05 million hectares | 1.05 million hectares | 1.05 million hectares | 1 |
| 1920s | 1.01 million hectares | 1.01 million hectares | 1.01 million hectares | 1 |
| 1930s | 1.02 million hectares | 1.02 million hectares | 1.02 million hectares | 1 |
| 1940s | 1.04 million hectares | 1.04 million hectares | 1.04 million hectares | 1 |
| 1950s | 936,660 hectares | 862,043 hectares | 998,981 hectares | 10 |
| 1960s | 838,000 hectares | 838,000 hectares | 838,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1970s | 838,000 hectares | 838,000 hectares | 838,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 838,000 hectares | 837,999 hectares | 838,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.01 million hectares | 838,000 hectares | 1.44 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.63 million hectares | 1.42 million hectares | 1.78 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.87 million hectares | 1.79 million hectares | 2.09 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.16 million hectares | 2.11 million hectares | 2.24 million hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 78 Tajikistan 2.82 million hectares compare
- 79 Poland 2.47 million hectares compare
- 80 Azerbaijan 2.41 million hectares compare
- 82 Belarus 2.23 million hectares compare
- 83 Sierra Leone 2.20 million hectares compare
- 84 Honduras 2.00 million hectares compare
More environment data for Portugal
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.6043 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.5127 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.44 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.29 % 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 0.1607 % 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 Portugal?
- Land use over the long-term in Portugal was 2.24 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 2.24 million hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest land use over the long-term recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 238,252 hectares in 1000.
- How does Portugal rank for land use over the long-term?
- Portugal ranks 81st out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is land use over the long-term rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal 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.