Results on EU land cover and use published for the first time

Forests and other wooded areas1 occupy almost 40% of the total area of the EU, cropland nearly a quarter and grassland a further fifth, while built-up and other artificial areas2, such as roads and railways, account for 4%. Regarding socio-economic use, over 40% of the land in the EU is used for agriculture and almost 30% for forestry. The use of land for residential, commercial and industrial3 purposes accounts for just over 10% of the total area of the EU.