Current agricultural land use in the UK (2024)

The total agricultural area in the UK is around 17.6 million hectares, with an additional 3.2 million hectares covered by woodland and forests. The agricultural area, excluding woodland, accounts for 72% of the total area of land.

The agricultural area has declined by around 26,000 hectares per year over the past 20 years. Reasons for this include transport infrastructure, building, woodland expansion (which has more than doubled over the past 20 years), nonagricultural use (golf courses, minerals, etc.) and some has been lost to the sea.

Cereals make up 60% of the arable land, of which 54% is wheat. The grassland is utilised by: 1.6 million dairy cows plus followers with an average herd size of around 140 cows; 1.4 million breeding beef cattle plus followers (average herd is 80 cows); and 15 million breeding sheep (average flock is 275 ewes).

There are around 192,000 farms in the UK. Only 20% of these are over 250 acres. The larger farms cover three quarters of the farmland. Around 50% of all holdings are under 50 acres, with many farms being family-run units. Soil type, topography, and climate determine the type of enterprise that is suitable for a particular farm.

The current structure of agriculture in the UK is diverse, but it has changed significantly over the past 30 years. UK agriculture is on the cusp of an era of significant reform – what changes will the next 30 years bring? We also look at how land use might look in 2050 here.