Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union

E1: Agriculture and fisheries

European Commission, Eurostat
L-2920, LUXEMBOURG

The primary objective of irrigation is to provide plants with sufficient water to obtain optimum yields and a high-quality harvested crop. Irrigation is essential in dry climates where precipitation is not sufficient for plant growth. Supplemental irrigation is also vital to produce high levels of quality and yield of crops on croplands in semi-arid and sub-humid climates during dry seasonal periods and drought spells where otherwise farming would not be economically viable. Increasingly dry summers due to climate change sharpen the situation. Irrigation increases yield and therefore contributes significantly to agricultural output and food supply.

At the same time, irrigation water use is a major driving force behind water abstraction. The need for a more sustainable and integrated approach to managing water resources in Europe is reflected in water-related policy and legislation. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) (Directive 2000/60/EC) requires the ‘promotion of sustainable water use based on long term protection of available water resources’. In recognition of the acuteness of the water scarcity and drought challenges in Europe, the European Commission undertook in 2006 and early 2007 an in-depth assessment of the situation at EU level. In July 2007 the Commission adopted a Communication on Water Scarcity and Droughts, which identified an initial set of policy options to be taken at European, national and regional levels to address water scarcity within the EU. The main policy objectives at EU level in relation to water use and water stress were set out in the 6th and 7th Environmental Action Programmes and the Water Framework Directive.

Also the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) instruments aim at a sustainable water management. The indicator on irrigation is part of the Agri-environmental indicators (AEIs) of the European Union (EU) which track the integration of environmental concerns into the CAP at EU, national and regional levels.

The table shows the share of irrigable and irrigated area in utilised agricultural area (UAA) for NUTS 2 regions from 2005 onwards. The irrigable area is the area which is equipped for irrigation and gives a long-term view of the irrigation needs and expected irrigation needs of farmers. The irrigated area measures the actual amount of land irrigated, and is a snapshot of the irrigation needed in that particular year. 

The data are collected by the Member States (plus the United Kingdom and for some years Norway, Switzerland, Montenegro and North Macedonia) on the level of agricultural holdings (farms) within the scope of the Farm structure survey (FSS).

Crops under glass and kitchen gardens, which are assumed to be generally irrigable and irrigated, are not considered within the data collection.

The legal basis for the FSS from 2010 onwards is Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 of 19 November 2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods, which repealed Council Regulation (EEC) No 571/1988.

Percentage of utilised agricultural area (UAA)

Calendar year

The indicator is produced according to the high-level quality standards of European Statistics. Details on accuracy can be found in the metadata of the source datasets (see link in "Related metadata" at the end of the report).

European Statistical System (ESS)

Data provider: Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), Unit E1: Agriculture and fisheries

Data source: Farm structure survey, table aei_ef_ir - Share of irrigable and irrigated areas in utilised agricultural area (UAA) by NUTS 2 regions

Every 3+ years

The Farm structure survey (FSS) is carried out basically every 3-4 years as a sample survey, and once in ten years as a census. The time series available in this table is 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016; planned update foreseen for 2020 and 2023. More information can be found in the metadata of the source datasets (see link in "Related metadata" at the end of the report).

> T+2 years

All EU MS

Data are presented for all EU Member States, plus the United Kingdom and for some years Norway, Switzerland, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

> 75% EU MS

Comparability across countries is considered to be high.

In the Farm structure survey (FSS) 2010, the volume of water that has been used for irriga­tion on the holding during the 12 months prior to the reference date of the survey, regardless of the source, is provided using data estimation, imputation, or modelling methods. This might affect comparability across countries.

Further details on comparability can be found in the metadata of the source dataset (see link in "Related metadata" at the end of the report).

> 10 years

This table covers data from 2005 onwards. For Germany, Estonia, Croatia and Luxembourg, data are not available for all years; the same applies to Norway, Switzerland, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

Generally, the Farm structure survey (FSS) has been carried out since 1966. The online database is available from 1990 onwards. Historic data about irrigation in hectares from 1990-2007 are available in the data set ef_lu_ofirrig in Eurobase - Eurostat's dissemination database.

> 4 data points

Details on comparability can be found in the metadata of the source dataset (see link in "Related metadata" at the end of the report).

No publication

Eurobase table tai03 - Share of irrigable and irrigated areas in utilised agricultural area (UAA) by NUTS 2 regions

Statistics explained article about irrigation in Eurostat's dedicated section on agri-environmental indicators.

Irrigated and irrigable areas is one of a set of 28 indicators was developed by the Commission in close collaboration with Member States following the last Commission Communication on Agri-environmental indicators of 2006.