Agriculture output slightly down by 1.5% in 2023

In 2023, agricultural output in the EU was valued at €537.1 billion (bn) in basic prices, a 1.5% decrease compared with 2022 (€545.4 bn). This slight drop from the peak value of output in 2022 ended the upward trend that had started in 2010. This change in nominal value reflected the balance of a fall in the volume of output (-2.3 %) and slight rise in the nominal price for agricultural goods and services (+0.8 %).

This information comes from the economic accounts for agriculture (EAA) for 2023 published by Eurostat today. More detailed findings can be found in the  Statistics Explained article on the performance of the agricultural sector. 

Source dataset: aact_eaa05

Although the volume of agricultural output in the EU in 2023 was a little lower than in 2022, there were 10 EU countries for which volumes were higher. The sharpest rates of increase were in Hungary (+26%) and Slovakia (+12%). In the remaining countries there were decreases, the sharpest being in Greece (-16%), Estonia, Latvia, Spain (each -9%) and Sweden (-8%). 

Source dataset: aact_eaa05

A little more than half (51%) of the value of the EU’s agricultural output in 2023 came from crops (€273.6bn, -6% compared with 2022) and 40% came from animals and animal products (€214.3 bn, +2% compared with 2022). The remaining share came from agricultural services and secondary activities. 

EU agricultural input costs not related to investment (intermediate consumption) were 3% lower in 2023 than in 2022. 

The changes in the value of agricultural output and intermediate consumption in 2023 resulted in a 0.5% rise in the gross value added generated by agriculture.