Land use over the long-term in Spain
Spain: Land use over the long-term was 10.13 million hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
10.13 million hectares
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
51st
of 202 countries
All-time high
12.50 million hectares
in 1960
All-time low
2.48 million hectares
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Land use over the long-term in Spain, 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 Spain is 10.13 million hectares, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use over the long-term in Spain peaked at 12.50 million hectares in 1960 and was at its lowest, 2.48 million hectares, in 1000.
That places Spain 51st out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Land use over the long-term in Spain, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 2.48 million hectares | — |
| 1100 | 2.73 million hectares | +10.4% |
| 1200 | 3.27 million hectares | +19.7% |
| 1300 | 4.36 million hectares | +33.2% |
| 1400 | 3.11 million hectares | -28.6% |
| 1500 | 3.56 million hectares | +14.6% |
| 1600 | 4.49 million hectares | +26.1% |
| 1700 | 4.05 million hectares | -10.0% |
| 1710 | 4.54 million hectares | +12.3% |
| 1720 | 4.64 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1730 | 4.75 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1740 | 4.85 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1750 | 4.96 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1760 | 5.07 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1770 | 5.18 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1780 | 5.29 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1790 | 5.40 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1800 | 5.52 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1810 | 5.63 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1820 | 5.75 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1830 | 6.10 million hectares | +6.1% |
| 1840 | 6.04 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1850 | 6.54 million hectares | +8.3% |
| 1860 | 7.15 million hectares | +9.3% |
| 1870 | 7.47 million hectares | +4.5% |
| 1880 | 7.80 million hectares | +4.4% |
| 1890 | 8.09 million hectares | +3.7% |
| 1900 | 8.19 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1910 | 8.68 million hectares | +6.1% |
| 1920 | 9.18 million hectares | +5.8% |
| 1930 | 10.04 million hectares | +9.4% |
| 1940 | 10.90 million hectares | +8.5% |
| 1950 | 11.67 million hectares | +7.1% |
| 1951 | 11.72 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1952 | 11.79 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 11.86 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 11.94 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1955 | 12.02 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1956 | 12.11 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1957 | 12.20 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 12.29 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 12.39 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 12.50 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1961 | 12.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 12.40 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1963 | 12.30 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 12.20 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 12.10 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 12.00 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 11.90 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 11.80 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1969 | 11.70 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 11.60 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 11.50 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 11.40 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 11.30 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 11.19 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 11.09 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 10.86 million hectares | -2.1% |
| 1977 | 10.99 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 10.90 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 10.83 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 10.74 million hectares | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 10.72 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 10.70 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 10.28 million hectares | -3.9% |
| 1984 | 10.12 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 10.30 million hectares | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 10.19 million hectares | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 10.21 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 10.21 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 10.38 million hectares | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 10.30 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 10.28 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 10.33 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 10.38 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 10.69 million hectares | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 10.97 million hectares | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 10.99 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 11.00 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 11.44 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 11.45 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 11.46 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 11.48 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 11.53 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 11.17 million hectares | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 11.11 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 11.32 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 11.04 million hectares | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 10.61 million hectares | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 10.87 million hectares | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 10.75 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 10.32 million hectares | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 10.02 million hectares | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 9.40 million hectares | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 9.60 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 9.39 million hectares | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 9.39 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 9.23 million hectares | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 9.31 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 9.41 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 9.45 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 9.50 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 9.62 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 9.89 million hectares | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 9.91 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 10.02 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 10.13 million hectares | +1.1% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 10.13 million hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 395,224 hectares, 25.6× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Spain's 10.13 million hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.16 million hectares, 8.7× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land use over the long-term in Spain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1300 | +33.2% | 3.27 million hectares | 4.36 million hectares |
| 1400 | -28.6% | 4.36 million hectares | 3.11 million hectares |
| 1600 | +26.1% | 3.56 million hectares | 4.49 million hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 2.48 million hectares | 2.48 million hectares | 2.48 million hectares | 1 |
| 1100s | 2.73 million hectares | 2.73 million hectares | 2.73 million hectares | 1 |
| 1200s | 3.27 million hectares | 3.27 million hectares | 3.27 million hectares | 1 |
| 1300s | 4.36 million hectares | 4.36 million hectares | 4.36 million hectares | 1 |
| 1400s | 3.11 million hectares | 3.11 million hectares | 3.11 million hectares | 1 |
| 1500s | 3.56 million hectares | 3.56 million hectares | 3.56 million hectares | 1 |
| 1600s | 4.49 million hectares | 4.49 million hectares | 4.49 million hectares | 1 |
| 1700s | 4.05 million hectares | 4.05 million hectares | 4.05 million hectares | 1 |
| 1710s | 4.54 million hectares | 4.54 million hectares | 4.54 million hectares | 1 |
| 1720s | 4.64 million hectares | 4.64 million hectares | 4.64 million hectares | 1 |
| 1730s | 4.75 million hectares | 4.75 million hectares | 4.75 million hectares | 1 |
| 1740s | 4.85 million hectares | 4.85 million hectares | 4.85 million hectares | 1 |
| 1750s | 4.96 million hectares | 4.96 million hectares | 4.96 million hectares | 1 |
| 1760s | 5.07 million hectares | 5.07 million hectares | 5.07 million hectares | 1 |
| 1770s | 5.18 million hectares | 5.18 million hectares | 5.18 million hectares | 1 |
| 1780s | 5.29 million hectares | 5.29 million hectares | 5.29 million hectares | 1 |
| 1790s | 5.40 million hectares | 5.40 million hectares | 5.40 million hectares | 1 |
| 1800s | 5.52 million hectares | 5.52 million hectares | 5.52 million hectares | 1 |
| 1810s | 5.63 million hectares | 5.63 million hectares | 5.63 million hectares | 1 |
| 1820s | 5.75 million hectares | 5.75 million hectares | 5.75 million hectares | 1 |
| 1830s | 6.10 million hectares | 6.10 million hectares | 6.10 million hectares | 1 |
| 1840s | 6.04 million hectares | 6.04 million hectares | 6.04 million hectares | 1 |
| 1850s | 6.54 million hectares | 6.54 million hectares | 6.54 million hectares | 1 |
| 1860s | 7.15 million hectares | 7.15 million hectares | 7.15 million hectares | 1 |
| 1870s | 7.47 million hectares | 7.47 million hectares | 7.47 million hectares | 1 |
| 1880s | 7.80 million hectares | 7.80 million hectares | 7.80 million hectares | 1 |
| 1890s | 8.09 million hectares | 8.09 million hectares | 8.09 million hectares | 1 |
| 1900s | 8.19 million hectares | 8.19 million hectares | 8.19 million hectares | 1 |
| 1910s | 8.68 million hectares | 8.68 million hectares | 8.68 million hectares | 1 |
| 1920s | 9.18 million hectares | 9.18 million hectares | 9.18 million hectares | 1 |
| 1930s | 10.04 million hectares | 10.04 million hectares | 10.04 million hectares | 1 |
| 1940s | 10.90 million hectares | 10.90 million hectares | 10.90 million hectares | 1 |
| 1950s | 12.00 million hectares | 11.67 million hectares | 12.39 million hectares | 10 |
| 1960s | 12.14 million hectares | 11.70 million hectares | 12.50 million hectares | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.17 million hectares | 10.83 million hectares | 11.60 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.38 million hectares | 10.12 million hectares | 10.74 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.78 million hectares | 10.28 million hectares | 11.45 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.13 million hectares | 10.61 million hectares | 11.53 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.55 million hectares | 9.23 million hectares | 10.32 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.84 million hectares | 9.50 million hectares | 10.13 million hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 48 United Kingdom 10.58 million hectares compare
- 49 Indonesia 10.51 million hectares compare
- 50 India 10.48 million hectares compare
- 52 Congo 10.00 million hectares compare
- 53 Kyrgyzstan 8.99 million hectares compare
- 54 New Zealand 8.68 million hectares compare
More environment data for Spain
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.67 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.4 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.402 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.3 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4277 % 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 -0.5136 % 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 Spain?
- Land use over the long-term in Spain was 10.13 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 12.50 million hectares in 1960.
- What is the lowest land use over the long-term recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.48 million hectares in 1000.
- How does Spain rank for land use over the long-term?
- Spain ranks 51st out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is land use over the long-term rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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.