10-Year Production Trajectory: Rising Stars & Fading Producers
Year-by-year harvested production (1 000 tonnes) for the eight leading EU celery producers reveals a sector in flux. Spain grew at a 4.41% CAGR, adding 45.6 thousand tonnes, while France surged at 7.11% CAGR — nearly doubling from 16.2 to 30.1 thousand tonnes. Germany also posted a solid 3.87% CAGR. On the opposite side, Greece contracted at −10.89% CAGR and Poland declined at −6.24% CAGR. Italy, despite remaining the second-largest producer in 2024 at 83.9 thousand tonnes, shed 34.3 thousand tonnes at a −3.74% CAGR.
Spain's production jump from 96.2 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 154.0 in 2021 represents the largest single-year expansion in the dataset, followed by a partial pullback to 141.8 thousand tonnes in 2024 — still 47.5% above the starting point. Italy's decline was steady, surrendering its top-producer position. France's growth accelerated sharply after 2020 (marked by a break-in-series annotation), settling at 30.1 thousand tonnes by 2024. Greece's contraction was abrupt between 2017 and 2019, falling from 12.8 to 4.1 thousand tonnes, with estimated values flagged throughout 2016–2024.
| Country | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | CAGR | Net Change (1 000 t) | Trajectory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 96.2 | 93.8 | 94.3 | 94.7 | 114.9 | 101.0 | 154.0 | 159.8 | 140.8 | 141.8 | +4.41% | +45.6 | Ascending |
| Italy | 118.2 | 102.2 | 100.1 | 100.7 | 97.8 | 97.0 | 92.9 | 89.8 | 91.5 | 83.9 | −3.74% | −34.3 | Declining |
| France | 16.2 | 15.6 | 15.6 | 18.0 | 17.0 | 26.6b | 29.9 | 26.6 | 29.3 | 30.1 | +7.11% | +13.9 | Ascending |
| Belgium | 22.3 | 21.2 | 22.4 | 21.2 | 20.7 | 19.3 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 17.6 | 17.7 | −2.52% | −4.6 | Declining |
| Germany | 11.3 | 10.8 | 13.6 | 12.9 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 17.8 | 14.4 | 15.3 | 15.9 | +3.87% | +4.6 | Ascending |
| Greece | 11.6 | 13.2e | 12.8e | 10.8e | 4.1e | 4.5e | 4.6e | 3.1e | 3.0e | 4.1e | −10.89% | −7.5 | Declining |
| Netherlands | 7.7 | 5.7 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 10.8 | 6.9 | 9.4 | 7.7 | 0.00% | 0.0 | Stable |
| Poland | 5.0 | 5.0 | 7.3 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 2.8 | −6.24% | −2.2 | Declining |
| EU-27 total** | 294.1 | 273.2 | 282.7 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 339.6 | 327.9 | 316.4 | 310.9 | N/A | N/A | — |
Supply Stability Scorecard: Reliability Rankings
Supply stability, measured by coefficient of variation (CV%), reveals which countries offer the most predictable harvests. Lower CV% values indicate tighter year-to-year consistency; higher values signal volatility. Max drawdown captures the worst peak-to-trough decline within the decade.
Italy ranks first in stability with a 9.00% CV, meaning its output deviated by roughly 8.8 thousand tonnes from its 97.4 thousand tonne mean — predictable despite the long-term decline. Belgium and Germany, at 11.15% and 14.11% CV respectively, also qualify as moderately stable suppliers. Spain, despite being the largest producer by volume, exhibits a higher 21.54% CV, placing it in the volatile category. Greece is the outlier, with a 56.89% CV and a 61.99% max drawdown, reflecting the dramatic collapse in its celery production after 2017.
| Country | Mean (1 000 t) | CV% | Max Drawdown% | Years Below Mean | Stability Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 97.40 | 9.00% | −13.56% | 5 | 1 |
| Belgium | 19.56 | 11.15% | −12.95% | 5 | 2 |
| Germany | 14.04 | 14.11% | −19.07% | 4 | 3 |
| Spain | 119.12 | 21.54% | −12.11% | 6 | 4 |
| Netherlands | 7.09 | 25.62% | −36.09% | 6 | 5 |
| France | 22.48 | 27.37% | −11.05% | 5 | 6 |
| Poland | 4.36 | 33.17% | −28.85% | 5 | 7 |
| Greece | 7.19 | 56.89% | −61.99% | 6 | 8 |
Land Allocation Shift: 10-Year Cropland Transformation
Harvested area data (1 000 hectares) tracks where celery farmland expanded or contracted. The EU-27 total held roughly flat — from 7.5 thousand ha in 2015 to 7.6 in 2024 (with unavailable points in 2018–2020) — but the country-level redistribution was significant.
Spain added 0.8 thousand hectares (a 44.4% increase), roughly matching its 4.41% production CAGR and indicating balanced expansion between land and yield. France's 91.5% area increase closely mirrors its 85.5% production gain, suggesting proportionate output-per-hectare consistency. Germany's 59.3% area expansion exceeded its 40.7% production rise, indicating a slight dilution of yield per hectare. Italy's 18.7% area contraction (−0.6 thousand ha) was less severe than its 29.0% production decline, while Greece and Poland saw near-total collapses in both harvested area and production over the decade.
| Country | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Net Change (1 000 ha) | Growth Rate | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 | +0.8 | +4.17% | Expanding |
| Italy | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 | −0.6 | −2.27% | Contracting |
| France | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.8b | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | +0.4 | +7.49% | Expanding |
| Belgium | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | −0.1 | −2.38% | Contracting |
| Germany | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | +0.2 | +5.31% | Expanding |
| Greece | 0.6 | 0.6e | 0.6e | 0.4e | 0.3e | 0.4e | 0.4e | 0.3e | 0.2e | 0.2e | −0.4 | −11.16% | Contracting |
| Netherlands | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | −0.0 | −0.57% | Contracting |
| Poland | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | −0.2 | −11.49% | Contracting |
| EU-27 total** | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.7 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8.3 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.6 | N/A | N/A | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which EU country grew its celery production the fastest, and which declined the most?
France recorded the fastest growth at +7.11% CAGR, nearly doubling from 16.2 to 30.1 thousand tonnes. Greece experienced the steepest decline at −10.89% CAGR, falling from 11.6 to 4.1 thousand tonnes, with all values from 2016 onward flagged as estimated.
Which country is the most reliable celery supplier in the EU?
Italy ranks as the most stable supplier with a coefficient of variation of just 9.00%, meaning its annual output has deviated from its 97.4 thousand tonne mean by roughly 8.8 thousand tonnes across the decade. Belgium (11.15% CV) and Germany (14.11% CV) follow as the next most reliable producers.
Where is celery farmland expanding and shrinking within the EU?
Celery farmland is expanding in Spain (+0.8 thousand ha, +44.4%), France (+0.4 thousand ha, +91.5%), and Germany (+0.2 thousand ha, +59.3%). It is shrinking most sharply in Italy (−0.6 thousand ha, −18.7%), Greece (−0.4 thousand ha, −65.5%), and Poland (−0.2 thousand ha, −66.7%).
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.
