The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 may have had an impact on the trend in some of the indicators (such as emissions to air, transport and energy) in this publication.
Grassland accounted for 59% of total land use in Ireland in 2021, down from 62% in 1990. The area under forest increased from 7% in 1990 to 11% in 2021, while wetlands declined from 19% in 1990 to 17% in 2021.
Forestry accounted for 11.4% of Ireland’s total land area in 2020, the third lowest among EU Member States after Malta and the Netherlands. Finland had the highest proportion of land area under forest at 66.2% in 2020. The EU27 average was 38.7%.
Country | Total land area |
---|---|
Finland | 66.2182966865734 |
Sweden | 62.5357602631955 |
Slovenia | 58.4585409164899 |
Estonia | 53.7850714663843 |
Latvia | 52.8100517139937 |
Austria | 46.3721118767734 |
Slovakia | 39.7978994595697 |
EU27 | 38.6650406886415 |
Portugal | 37.4926770142419 |
Spain | 37.2559588527228 |
Bulgaria | 35.1003639770802 |
Croatia | 34.2792522175496 |
Luxembourg | 34.1811175337187 |
Czechia | 33.9426405142575 |
Lithuania | 33.7324612462472 |
Germany | 32.0723832323272 |
France | 31.7304666156704 |
Italy | 31.6682722388297 |
Poland | 30.340976122695 |
Greece | 29.6277734748736 |
Romania | 29.2855644762121 |
Belgium | 22.4776625578817 |
Hungary | 22.0725282759214 |
Cyprus | 18.6469253215173 |
Denmark | 14.6404193360513 |
Ireland | 11.4249360229888 |
Netherlands | 9.88549414093852 |
Malta | 1.45569620253165 |
The area of agricultural land farmed organically in Ireland increased by 480% between 1997 and 2022, when it accounted for 108,470 hectares or 2.3% of the total agricultural land.
Land used for organic farming in Ireland accounted for 1.8% of total agricultural land in 2021 – the second lowest percentage among the 27 EU Member States. Austria, with 24.9%, had the highest proportion of agricultural land farmed organically in the EU27 in 2021, and Malta the lowest at 0.6%.
Country | Total agricultural land |
---|---|
Austria | 24.9365394276997 |
Estonia | 23.6660713726227 |
Portugal | 21.1116572705878 |
Sweden | 20.031202329774 |
Italy | 18.0690873294988 |
Finland | 16.1841842994645 |
Latvia | 16.0927614340796 |
Czechia | 15.7180786316365 |
Slovakia | 13.1321879880733 |
Denmark | 11.5713500347416 |
Spain | 11.3108030739624 |
Greece | 11.0078900011942 |
Slovenia | 10.6690546772069 |
France | 10.006229399811 |
Germany | 9.58895972234032 |
Lithuania | 9.14921799912626 |
Belgium | 7.83033871091062 |
Croatia | 7.75992871690428 |
Cyprus | 7.07765480654898 |
Hungary | 6.30507331655399 |
Luxembourg | 5.26022588522589 |
Romania | 4.43263364698583 |
Netherlands | 4.13380819129992 |
Poland | 3.81296292055376 |
Bulgaria | 1.85575389061136 |
Ireland | 1.75156519372108 |
Malta | 0.606617647058824 |
Total fertiliser sales in Ireland fell from 1.8 million tonnes in 1981 to 0.9 million tonnes in 2012. In 2021 it was 1.9 million tonnes.
Lime is the most commonly used fertiliser in the State. Sales in 2021 at 1.3 million tonnes were higher than the 2020 figure of 887,000 tonnes but close to the 1981 figure of 1.3 million tonnes.
The sale of nitrogen fertilisers in Ireland increased by 40% between 1981 and 2021. Potassium fertiliser sales fell from by 23% between 1981 and 2021. Phosphorous fertiliser sales fell by 31% over the same period.
Year | Lime | Nitrogen | Potassium | Phosphorous |
---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | 1348.504 | 275.094 | 149.7735 | 62.721 |
1982 | 1591.859 | 280.39775 | 149.33925 | 61.95925 |
1983 | 2212.973 | 304.84875 | 155.32225 | 64.094 |
1984 | 1124.08 | 330.50725 | 162.1835 | 66.15925 |
1985 | 878.416 | 326.4685 | 159.03075 | 64.04175 |
1986 | 825.831 | 334.97425 | 149.89125 | 60.034 |
1987 | 824.366 | 363.592 | 163.11175 | 65.02675 |
1988 | 885.559 | 341.80625 | 157.151 | 63.00075 |
1989 | 940.616 | 356.5965 | 160.1465 | 64.642 |
1990 | 806.9 | 377.0135 | 156.984 | 64.09 |
1991 | 716.239 | 367.16625 | 151.436 | 61.837 |
1992 | 580.911 | 363.22275 | 148.7735 | 59.9315 |
1993 | 812.045 | 385.6915 | 150.0465 | 61.08175 |
1994 | 612.821 | 413.81475 | 146.62575 | 60.583 |
1995 | 1124.08 | 425.849 | 150.93825 | 62.29375 |
1996 | 1100.076 | 407.5555 | 147.1215 | 59.89875 |
1997 | 962.471 | 392.60075 | 130.16475 | 52.8 |
1998 | 694.501 | 434.72825 | 124.67 | 50.06825 |
1999 | 870.971 | 434.0865 | 124.9705 | 50.2015 |
2000 | 832.689 | 397.86525 | 118.74225 | 47.6245 |
2001 | 875.642 | 367.3785 | 106.56225 | 42.49 |
2002 | 622.499 | 369.65475 | 106.98175 | 42.35975 |
2003 | 879.741 | 381.69125 | 111.01325 | 43.53925 |
2004 | 547.263 | 359.935 | 108.16125 | 41.657 |
2005 | 606.213 | 350.41225 | 98.7525 | 38.286 |
2006 | 579.219 | 339.2625 | 90.84425 | 36.0105 |
2007 | 856.288 | 318.431 | 80.94875 | 30.89875 |
2008 | 595.926 | 308.4215 | 65.28875 | 24.82025 |
2009 | 698.46 | 314.498 | 57.45825 | 22.232 |
2010 | 972.577 | 327.12925 | 72.32225 | 28.203 |
2011 | 819.724 | 295.98025 | 73.8575 | 27.9355 |
2012 | 521.355 | 310.663 | 84.08175 | 29.81225 |
2013 | 1172.029 | 347.7285 | 93.0455 | 36.6355 |
2014 | 868.905 | 331.57625 | 93.9195 | 35.82575 |
2015 | 893.73 | 332.99525 | 94.571 | 36.682 |
2016 | 967.276 | 346.60025 | 98.842 | 38.2795 |
2017 | 737.116 | 378.9405 | 111.58725 | 43.0165 |
2018 | 1028.738 | 398.21225 | 118.77225 | 45.45825 |
2019 | 762.865 | 370.40275 | 115.22 | 43.06875 |
2020 | 887.32 | 384.43025 | 119.2425 | 44.71125 |
2021 | 1333.1 | 385.17125 | 115.595 | 43.111 |
Ireland had the seventh highest rate of fertiliser sales among the 27 EU Member States in 2021 at 90 tonnes per 1,000 hectares of agricultural land. Belgium had the highest rate of sales in 2021 at 121 tonnes per 1,000 hectares of agricultural land and Portugal had the lowest at 30 tonnes.
Country | Sales per 1,000 hectares agricultural land |
---|---|
Portugal | 29.7567820649771 |
Austria | 38.1665560400309 |
Romania | 47.0693214153043 |
Greece | 47.6144688456138 |
Spain | 51.627881625152 |
Latvia | 52.6995505187142 |
Estonia | 54.0192791720191 |
Italy | 55.5765859512732 |
Malta | 57.5367647058823 |
Slovenia | 66.5472661396575 |
Finland | 70.2364869354146 |
Sweden | 70.263024083576 |
Slovakia | 73.9010627836412 |
Lithuania | 73.9592835299257 |
Croatia | 74.6022148676171 |
France | 77.4228958561874 |
Bulgaria | 80.5699493005715 |
Germany | 80.8036489540456 |
Poland | 82.5595928346335 |
Denmark | 82.9369230416822 |
Ireland | 89.7744709594814 |
Cyprus | 92.2985456873685 |
Czechia | 93.2068727498733 |
Hungary | 107.205166089698 |
Luxembourg | 109.485653235653 |
Netherlands | 117.868335164568 |
Belgium | 120.894563804572 |
Cattle numbers in December in Ireland during 1980 to 2022 fluctuated between 5.6 million in 1987 and 7 million in 1998. The 2022 figure was 6.6 million, which was 1.5% below the 2021 figure.
Sheep numbers have fluctuated more widely. In December 1980 there were 2.3 million sheep in Ireland. This number peaked in 1992 at 6.1 million. In December 2022 there were 4 million sheep in the State, which was slightly lower than the 2021 total.
Pig numbers increased from 1 million in December 1980 to a peak of 1.8 million in 1998. In December 2022 there were 1.6 million pigs in the State, down 8.4% on 2021.
Year | Cattle | Sheep | Pigs |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | 5825.5 | 2343.6 | 1030.8 |
1981 | 5763.2 | 2449.3 | 1027 |
1982 | 5795.2 | 2608.5 | 1081.1 |
1983 | 5830.5 | 2813.2 | 1053.4 |
1984 | 5860.9 | 3081.8 | 1019.5 |
1985 | 5813 | 3304 | 994.1 |
1986 | 5670.3 | 3671.8 | 980 |
1987 | 5632.7 | 4300.6 | 960.3 |
1988 | 5698.7 | 4991.2 | 1014.5 |
1989 | 5969.1 | 5713.9 | 1110.1 |
1990 | 6100.5 | 5863.7 | 1249.1 |
1991 | 6147.4 | 5982.6 | 1345.5 |
1992 | 6236.4 | 6109.2 | 1422.7 |
1993 | 6263.9 | 5966.5 | 1487.2 |
1994 | 6343.9 | 5739.7 | 1498.3 |
1995 | 6450.6 | 5543.4 | 1542.3 |
1996 | 6660.9 | 5341.9 | 1664.5 |
1997 | 6881.6 | 5577.2 | 1717 |
1998 | 6951.7 | 5559.1 | 1800.9 |
1999 | 6557.9 | 5318.6 | 1762.9 |
2000 | 6330.2 | 5056 | 1731.5 |
2001 | 6408.1 | 4807 | 1777.8 |
2002 | 6332.8 | 4828.5 | 1796.9 |
2003 | 6223.4 | 4850.1 | 1731 |
2004 | 6211.5 | 4556.7 | 1754.3 |
2005 | 6390.2 | 4257 | 1670.8 |
2006 | 6340.2 | 3826.3 | 1620 |
2007 | 6247.6 | 3530.5 | 1500.5 |
2008 | 6303.9 | 3422.9 | 1510.7 |
2009 | 6231.7 | 3182.6 | 1501.9 |
2010 | 5917.7 | 3122 | 1500.4 |
2011 | 5925.3 | 3321.3 | 1552.9 |
2012 | 6253.2 | 3430.3 | 1493.5 |
2013 | 6309.1 | 3324.1 | 1469.1 |
2014 | 6243.1 | 3324.9 | 1505.7 |
2015 | 6422.2 | 3324.8 | 1474.5 |
2016 | 6613.4 | 3438.2 | 1527.8 |
2017 | 6673.6 | 3981.8 | 1616.4 |
2018 | 6593.5 | 3798.5 | 1572.2 |
2019 | 6559.7 | 3809.4 | 1613.3 |
2020 | 6529.4 | 3877.2 | 1678.6 |
2021 | 6649.3 | 4026.4 | 1713.6 |
2022 | 6551.8 | 4018 | 1570.4 |
In December 2022 Ireland had the third highest number of cattle in the EU27, with 8.8% of the total. France had the highest proportion of cattle numbers, with 22.7% of the EU total.
Ireland had 6.1% of the total sheep population in the EU27 in December 2019, compared with Spain which had the highest proportion of sheep numbers at 24.8% of the total.
Ireland had 1.2% of the total pig population in the EU27 in December 2022. Spain had the highest proportion of pig numbers in the EU with 25.4% of the total.
The number of new dwelling completions in Ireland increased from 6,994 units in 2011 to 29,751 units in 2022.
Over half of these units in 2022 were part of housing schemes, 31% were apartments and 18% were single houses. The percentage of total completions accounted for by apartments increased from 9% in 2015 to 31% in 2022.
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