EU Celery Production 2020–2024: Spain and Italy Command Over 80% of European Output

EU Market Share: Who Dominates Production?

Over the 2020–2024 period, Spain leads European celery production by a wide margin. The country recorded a 5-year total of 697.36 thousand tonnes (annual average 139.47 thousand tonnes/yr), representing 46.1% of the EU total. Italy ranks second with 455.07 thousand tonnes (91.01 thousand tonnes/yr), capturing 35.1% of the market. France completes the podium with 142.48 thousand tonnes (28.50 thousand tonnes/yr), or 11.0% of EU output.

Spain and Italy together account for 1,152.43 thousand tonnes or 81.2% of the EU's total celery production. France adds another 11.0%, meaning the top three producers control over 92% of the European celery market.

Agricultural Efficiency: Yield per Hectare

Yield data for celery (tonnes per hectare) is not systematically reported in the Eurostat apro_cpsh1 dataset, which limits direct efficiency comparisons. However, by cross-referencing production volume with harvested area, approximate yields can be derived. Spain, with 10.42 thousand hectares over the 5-year period and 697.36 thousand tonnes of output, achieves an implied yield of approximately 66.9 tonnes per hectare. Italy, farming 10.77 thousand hectares for 455.07 thousand tonnes, shows an implied yield of around 42.3 tonnes per hectare. France, with only 3.49 thousand hectares and 142.48 thousand tonnes, achieves an implied yield of approximately 40.8 tonnes per hectare.

Regional and Climatic Divides Across Europe

Celery production in Europe is heavily concentrated in the Mediterranean region. The Southern bloc — Spain, Italy, and Greece — collectively accounts for over 82% of EU output. Western European producers (France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands) contribute most of the remaining volume.

Spain alone (697.36 thousand tonnes) produces more celery than all of Western Europe combined (347.92 thousand tonnes), highlighting the crop's strong climatic preference for warmer growing conditions.

Temporal Trends: Market Stability vs. Volatility

Spain's celery output has remained relatively stable between 2021 and 2024, fluctuating within a range of 140.80 to 159.78 thousand tonnes per year. Italy shows a gentle downward drift from 92.92 thousand tonnes (2021) to 83.89 thousand tonnes (2024), representing a 9.7% decline over the period. France has been highly stable, maintaining output between 26.64 and 30.07 thousand tonnes annually.

The most volatile market is the Netherlands, where production swung from 10.75 thousand tonnes in 2021 down to 6.87 thousand tonnes in 2022, rebounding to 9.43 thousand tonnes in 2023 before dropping again to 7.74 thousand tonnes in 2024 — a variability range of more than 50% between peak and trough. Belgium and Germany have shown steady, modest production levels with limited year-to-year variation.

Land Allocation: How Countries Prioritize Farmland

The EU dedicated approximately 31.42 thousand hectares to celery farming over the 2021–2024 period. Italy and Spain are the largest land allocators, together accounting for over two-thirds of the total celery area.

Spain allocates 10.42 thousand hectares but produces 697.36 thousand tonnes of celery, achieving a land-use efficiency of 66.9 tonnes per hectare. Italy uses 10.77 thousand hectares — marginally more land than Spain — but produces only 455.07 thousand tonnes, reflecting a lower land efficiency of 42.3 tonnes per hectare. This efficiency gap explains how Spain produces 46.1% of EU celery from 33.2% of the cultivated area.

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