Ireland was among the top performers, recording one of the EU’s strongest increases in agricultural output last year.

The value of EU agricultural production reached a record €558.7 billion in 2025, up 4.8% on 2024 according to a new report from Eurostat today (Thursday, November 12).

This figure includes everything from crops and livestock to agricultural services and other goods and services produced by the sector.

The agricultural sector contributed an estimated €244.6 billion towards the EU's overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2025.

Almost one half (48.9%) of EU’s agricultural output in 2025 came from crops (€273.2 billion), with slightly more than two-fifths (42.6%) coming from animals and animal products (€238.2 billion).

The remainder (8.5%) came from agricultural services and secondary activities (€47.3 billion).

The value of crop output in 2025 was 1.6% higher than in 2024, with animal output 9.2% higher.

According to Eurostat the total value of agricultural output increased in 22 of 27 EU countries.

The sharpest rate of increase was seen in Romania (+13.6%).

However Czechia, Ireland, Estonia, Slovakia and Austria all followed recorded agricultural output rates above +10%.

In contrast the value of agricultural output decreased in Greece (-2.9%) and Cyprus (-1.8%), as well as Portugal, Finland and Malta (all less than –1.0%).

The new Eurostat report also clearly highlights that the estimated total output value of the EU's agricultural industry came from the "big four" comprising France (€93.0 billion), Germany (€78.5 billion), Italy (€74.3 billion) and Spain (€71.8 billion). 

But Poland (€41.6 billion), the Netherlands (€41.6 billion), and Romania (€23.0 billion) also made a significant contribution.

The Eurostat report shows that three-quarters (75.8%) of the estimated total value of EU's agricultural output in 2025 came from seven EU countries.

Input costs

According to Eurostat overall input costs for farmers rose again last year, these were estimated to have been €309.1 billion for the EU as a whole in 2025, equivalent to a rise of 1.8% on 2024.

A key issue for farms across Europe is agricultural labour and latest figures show that total agricultural labour input declined sharply in almost all EU countries during the fifteen-year period between 2010 and 2025. 

The biggest declines were in:

Romania: -11.7%;
Lithuania: -11.7%;
Hungary: -6.2%.

However in other countries including Ireland, Romania, Czechia, Spain, Luxembourg and Belgium, more "salaried" agricultural labour was used in 2025 than in 2024.