10-Year Production Trajectory: Rising Stars & Fading Producers
EU blueberry production more than tripled over the decade, growing from 66.9 thousand tonnes in 2016 to 204.9 thousand tonnes in 2025 — a net gain of 137.9 thousand tonnes, or 206.3%. The trajectory was interrupted only once, with a modest dip in 2023 (183.7 thousand tonnes) before output rebounded to an all-time high in 2025. Every major producer except the Netherlands increased output, making blueberries one of the most uniformly ascendant sectors in EU agriculture.
Spain has risen fastest in absolute terms, moving from 24.9 thousand tonnes in 2016 to 70.7 thousand tonnes in 2025 (a 12.27% CAGR, +45.7 thousand tonnes, +183.3%). With a decade total of 526.7 thousand tonnes — the highest cumulative output of any EU country — Spain established itself as the continent's undisputed volume leader. Its production doubled from 2017 to 2018 (35.4 to 43.5 thousand tonnes) and crossed the 70-thousand-tonne mark for the first time in 2025.
Poland delivered the strongest growth rate among the established large-scale producers, rocketing from 14.7 thousand tonnes to 64.7 thousand tonnes (a 17.88% CAGR, +50.0 thousand tonnes, +339.5%). Poland's cumulative decade output reached 454.3 thousand tonnes, placing it firmly in second position. The inflection point came in 2020, when Polish production nearly doubled year-on-year from 34.8 to 55.3 thousand tonnes, and it has remained above 55 thousand tonnes every year since.
Portugal climbed from 6.6 thousand tonnes to 22.9p thousand tonnes (a 14.85% CAGR, +16.3 thousand tonnes, +247.8%), building a decade total of 160.8 thousand tonnes. Growth was steady and uninterrupted — no single year declined. Germany posted a more measured ascent from 10.7 to 17.3 thousand tonnes (a 5.45% CAGR, +6.6 thousand tonnes, +61.3%), accumulating 142.1 thousand tonnes across the decade.
Among the smaller players, Italy's trajectory is notable for its late start: production was reported as negligible until 2020, after which it surged from 6.8 to 10.6e thousand tonnes in five years (a 9.38% CAGR) for a cumulative 55.7 thousand tonnes. Romania delivered the highest decade CAGR at 38.28%, multiplying output from 0.3 thousand tonnes to 5.0 thousand tonnes (a +1,748.1% net change). Austria grew from 0.7 to 2.2 thousand tonnes (a 14.37% CAGR, +234.8%).
The Netherlands stands alone as the only top-8 producer to contract, declining from 7.7e thousand tonnes in 2016 to 6.5 thousand tonnes in 2025 (a -1.80% CAGR, -15.1%). Dutch output peaked at 11.1e thousand tonnes in 2019 and eroded steadily thereafter.
All values in 1 000 t. b = break in series, d = definition differs, e = estimated, p = provisional, n = not applicable/negligible.
| Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | CAGR | Net Change (1 000 t) | Trajectory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 24.9 | 35.4 | 43.5 | 53.4 | 48.5 | 61.2 | 70.4 | 57.7 | 61.0 | 70.7 | +12.27% | +45.7 | Ascending |
| Poland | 14.7 | 16.3 | 25.3 | 34.8 | 55.3 | 55.3 | 64.0 | 61.9 | 62.0 | 64.7 | +17.88% | +50.0 | Ascending |
| Portugal | 6.6 | 9.8 | 11.1 | 15.2 | 15.4 | 17.1 | 19.1 | 20.8 | 22.9 | 22.9p | +14.85% | +16.3 | Ascending |
| Germany | 10.7 | 13.8 | 12.8 | 14.8 | 11.3 | 15.6 | 15.4 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 17.3 | +5.45% | +6.6 | Ascending |
| Netherlands | 7.7e | 8.3e | 9.3e | 11.1e | 9.2e | 8.5e | 8.1e | 7.8e | 6.9e | 6.5 | -1.80% | -1.2 | Declining |
| Italy | 0.0n | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.8 | 8.8 | 9.2 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 10.6e | +9.38% | +10.6 | Ascending |
| Romania | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | +38.28% | +4.7 | Ascending |
| Austria | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.2 | +14.37% | +1.5 | Ascending |
| EU-27 | 66.9 | 86.5 | 106.3 | 134.0 | 152.9 | 173.6 | 195.2 | 183.7 | 190.3 | 204.9 | — | — | Ascending |
Supply Stability Scorecard: Reliability Rankings
In a market defined by rapid growth, stability has taken a back seat for most producers. Of the top eight producing countries, only two — Germany and the Netherlands — qualified as moderately stable (CV 10–20%). The remaining six all fell into volatile territory (CV > 20%), reflecting the transitional nature of a sector where many countries are still ramping up from a low base. The two most established berry producers — Germany and the Netherlands — were also the most stable, suggesting that maturity brings consistency.
Germany ranked as the single most reliable blueberry supplier with a CV of just 13.74%, the only country in the dataset to post a sub-15% coefficient of variation. German output oscillated within a narrow band of 10.7 to 17.3 thousand tonnes, with a worst single-year drawdown of -23.91% (the drop from 14.8 thousand tonnes in 2019 to 11.3 thousand tonnes in 2020 — which recovered immediately in 2021). The Netherlands ranked second for stability (14.76% CV, -16.82% max drawdown), though its declining trajectory tempers its reliability credentials.
Spain, the volume leader, ranks only third for stability with a CV of 26.69% and a -18.11% maximum drawdown. While Spanish output is variable in absolute terms, its worst single-year shock was shallower than Germany's, and its underlying growth trend provides a strong compensating factor. Poland, despite its explosive expansion, posted a CV of 42.71% — the third-highest in the dataset — driven by the steep ramp-up between 2019 and 2020 and further large upward moves in subsequent years. Its maximum drawdown was a mere -3.28%, meaning rapid upward momentum shielded it from meaningful single-year drops.
At the far end of the volatility spectrum, Romania (82.14% CV) and Italy (83.62% CV) reflect their status as emerging producers scaling from near-zero baselines. Both posted zero or near-zero maximum drawdowns, indicating that their output has moved almost unidirectionally upward throughout the decade.
CV < 10% = Very stable; CV 10–20% = Moderately stable; CV > 20% = Volatile.
| Country | Mean (1 000 t) | CV% | Max Drawdown% | Years Below Mean | Stability Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 14.21 | 13.74% | -23.91% | 4 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 8.34 | 14.76% | -16.82% | 6 | 2 |
| Spain | 52.67 | 26.69% | -18.11% | 4 | 3 |
| Austria | 1.57 | 30.37% | -6.31% | 5 | 4 |
| Portugal | 16.08 | 32.92% | 0.0% | 5 | 5 |
| Poland | 45.43 | 42.71% | -3.28% | 4 | 6 |
| Romania | 2.21 | 82.14% | -6.15% | 6 | 7 |
| Italy | 5.57 | 83.62% | 0.0% | 4 | 8 |
Land Allocation Shift: 10-Year Cropland Transformation
EU blueberry harvested area more than doubled during the decade, rising from 13.3 thousand hectares in 2016 to 29.9 thousand hectares in 2025 — a net addition of 16.6 thousand hectares (+124.8%). Area expanded every single year with no interruptions, making blueberries one of the rarest crops in the Eurostat database: a sector where land allocation grew without a single down year.
Poland led the EU in absolute land expansion, more than doubling its blueberry area from 5.0 thousand hectares to 12.6 thousand hectares (a +10.72% annualized growth rate, +150.0%). Poland alone accounted for 7.6 of the EU's 16.6-thousand-hectare net gain — nearly 46% of the total. Polish area expanded from 5.0 to 8.1 thousand hectares between 2016 and 2018, then added another 2.9 thousand hectares between 2021 and 2025, sustaining a double-digit growth rate throughout.
Spain added 2.9 thousand hectares (a +9.56% annual growth rate, +127.4%), reaching 5.1 thousand hectares by 2025. German area grew more slowly at 2.72% annually, adding 0.7 thousand hectares to reach 3.5 thousand hectares — a pace that reflects a mature industry where production gains come from yield improvement rather than area expansion. Portugal expanded by 1.1 thousand hectares (6.46% annually, +75.7%), climbing to 2.7p thousand hectares in 2025.
Romania posted the fastest land expansion of any EU country at 30.63% annually, growing from 0.1 to 1.4 thousand hectares — a more-than-tenfold increase that mirrors its production surge. Italy's blueberry area emerged from near-zero in 2016–2019 to 1.5e thousand hectares by 2025 (a +6.31% annual growth rate). Austria expanded modestly from 0.1 to 0.3 thousand hectares (7.12% annually).
The Netherlands was the sole contractor, shedding 0.1 thousand hectares (-16.7%) with a -2.01% annualized rate — the only red entry in an otherwise uniformly green land-use ledger. Dutch area peaked at 1.1 thousand hectares in 2019 and has not recovered since.
Across the bloc, production grew at least as fast as area for every major producer, indicating that intensification accompanied expansion. In Germany's case, production (5.45% CAGR) outstripped area growth (2.72% annualized) by a factor of two, pointing to significant yield improvement.
All values in 1 000 ha. b = break in series, d = definition differs, e = estimated, p = provisional, n = not applicable/negligible.
| Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Net Change (1 000 ha) | Growth Rate | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 5.0 | 7.1 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.4 | 12.4 | 12.5 | 12.6 | +7.6 | +10.72% | Expanding |
| Spain | 2.3 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 5.1 | +2.9 | +9.56% | Expanding |
| Germany | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | +0.7 | +2.72% | Expanding |
| Portugal | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7p | +1.1 | +6.46% | Expanding |
| Italy | 0.0n | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.5e | +1.5 | +6.31% | Expanding |
| Romania | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +1.3 | +30.63% | Expanding |
| Netherlands | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | -0.1 | -2.01% | Contracting |
| Austria | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | +0.1 | +7.12% | Expanding |
| EU-27 | 13.3 | 16.9 | 19.4 | 20.3 | 23.3 | 25.2 | 26.7 | 28.6 | 29.5 | 29.9 | — | — | Expanding |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which EU country's blueberry production grew fastest, and which declined?
Romania grew fastest at a 38.28% CAGR, multiplying output from 0.3 to 5.0 thousand tonnes (+1,748.1%). The Netherlands was the only decliner among the top 8, contracting from 7.7e to 6.5 thousand tonnes (a -1.80% CAGR, -15.1%).
Which country is the most stable blueberry supplier?
Germany is the most stable supplier with a CV of 13.74%, the only top-8 producer to qualify as moderately stable (CV 10–20%) with a mature, consistent output profile. The Netherlands ranked second at 14.76% CV.
Where is EU blueberry farmland expanding or shrinking?
EU blueberry area more than doubled, growing from 13.3 to 29.9 thousand hectares (+124.8%). Poland led in absolute terms (+7.6 thousand ha, +10.72% annually). The Netherlands was the lone contractor, shedding 0.1 thousand hectares (-2.01% annually). Every other top-8 country expanded.
Source data extracted from Eurostat dataset apro_cpsh1.
This article was generated using AI. The content is based on Eurostat data and is provided as a starting point — please verify all data with the original source.