12.4 Million Tonnes of EU Cucumber Production 2020–2024: A Complete Data Breakdown
Spain dominates EU cucumber production with 3.79 million tonnes (30.6% of the EU total), followed by Poland and the Netherlands, while the Netherlands achieves by far the highest yield per hectare at over 658 t/ha through intensive greenhouse cultivation. Overall EU production has shown a modest gradual decline from 2.60 million tonnes in 2020 to 2.43 million tonnes in 2024.
EU Market Share: Who Dominates Production?
Spain is the undisputed leader of EU cucumber production, contributing nearly one-third of the bloc's total output over the 5-year period. Poland and the Netherlands are close competitors for the second and third positions, each accounting for roughly 17% of EU production. France holds fourth place with just under 8%.
Spain's 3.79 million tonnes (758 thousand t/yr) comfortably outpaces the next-largest producers. Poland's 2.18 million tonnes (436 thousand t/yr) and the Netherlands' 2.11 million tonnes (423 thousand t/yr) are separated by only 66 thousand tonnes over the full 5 years. Together, the top three member states account for 65.3% of all EU cucumber output.
| Member State | Total (1 000 t) | Annual Avg (1 000 t/yr) | % of EU Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 3 790.43 | 758.09 | 30.6% |
| Poland | 2 179.00 | 435.80 | 17.6% |
| Netherlands | 2 112.56 | 422.51 | 17.1% |
| France | 946.03 | 189.21 | 7.6% |
| Greece | 642.57 | 128.51 | 5.2% |
| Romania | 441.61 | 88.32 | 3.6% |
| Germany | 349.44 | 69.89 | 2.8% |
| Italy | 338.01 | 67.60 | 2.7% |
| Other EU | 1 575.00 | 315.00 | 12.7% |
Agricultural Efficiency: Yield per Hectare
While Spain leads in total volume, the Netherlands is in a league of its own when it comes to yield efficiency. Dutch cucumber growers achieve an extraordinary 658 t/ha, more than 7 times the EU average, thanks to widespread greenhouse and controlled-environment agriculture. Germany and France also post strong yields, while Romania and Italy trail significantly.
The Netherlands produces 2.11 million tonnes of cucumbers from just 3.21 thousand hectares of land — an extraordinary demonstration of controlled-environment farming efficiency. In contrast, Romania requires 21.90 thousand hectares to produce only 441.61 thousand tonnes, reflecting a yield roughly 33 times lower than the Netherlands.
| Member State | Yield (t/ha) | Area (1 000 ha, 5-yr sum) |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 658.1 | 3.21 |
| Germany | 180.1 | 1.94 |
| France | 110.5 | 8.56 |
| Spain | 93.9 | 40.36 |
| Poland | 74.1 | 29.40 |
| Greece | 68.2 | 9.42 |
| Italy | 34.1 | 9.92 |
| Romania | 20.2 | 21.90 |
Regional and Climatic Divides Across Europe
Cucumber production in the EU is concentrated in the Mediterranean and Western Europe, though Eastern European member states also contribute significantly.
The Mediterranean region — led by Spain — accounts for 39.9% of total EU cucumber output, the largest share of any geographic bloc. Western Europe contributes 30.3%, driven primarily by the Netherlands' greenhouse sector. Eastern Europe holds 24.3%, with Poland as the leading producer in the region. Northern Europe represents a smaller but non-trivial 5.5%, with Finland contributing 261 thousand tonnes over the period.
| Region | Member States | Total (1 000 t) | Annual Avg (1 000 t/yr) | Share of EU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mediterranean / South | ES, EL, IT, PT, CY, MT, HR, SI | 4 931.82 | 986.36 | 39.9% |
| Western Europe | FR, DE, NL, BE, AT, LU | 3 750.16 | 750.03 | 30.3% |
| Eastern Europe | PL, RO, BG, HU, CZ, SK | 3 012.21 | 602.44 | 24.3% |
| Northern Europe | FI, SE, DK, EE, LV, LT, IE | 680.40 | 136.08 | 5.5% |
Temporal Trends: Market Stability vs. Volatility
The EU cucumber market shows varying stability patterns across member states. Spain and the Netherlands exhibit the steadiest production profiles, while Romania experienced a dramatic collapse.
Spain's annual output ranged narrowly between 722 and 795 thousand tonnes, maintaining a stable baseline with a coefficient of variation of just 3.6%. The Netherlands was similarly consistent, fluctuating between 400 and 440 thousand tonnes.
Romania's production fell sharply from 136.89 thousand tonnes in 2020 to just 54.24 thousand tonnes in 2024 — a 60% decline over the period. The drop was particularly severe between 2021 (125.32) and 2022 (57.91), suggesting a structural shift in the sector.
Poland showed a gradual downward trend, declining from 459.3 thousand tonnes in 2020 to 402.8 thousand tonnes in 2024 — a 12.3% reduction. France's output dropped from 212.68 to 178.94 thousand tonnes over the same period, with a notable break in series flagged for 2020 data.
Italy recorded a production spike in 2024, reaching 94.55 thousand tonnes compared to its 5-year average of 67.60 thousand tonnes — a 40% increase above trend.
Greece's data carries estimated (e) flags throughout the period, indicating that figures for this member state are subject to revision. Output ranged from 114.58 to 137.10 thousand tonnes.
| Year | EU Total (1 000 t) | ES | PL | NL | FR | EL | RO | DE | IT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 599.22 | 794.87 | 459.30 | 430.17 | 212.68b | 137.10e | 136.89 | 67.89 | 58.37 |
| 2021 | 2 532.61 | 745.86 | 433.20 | 440.39 | 199.29 | 134.32e | 125.32 | 71.74 | 60.83 |
| 2022 | 2 412.10 | 769.91 | 453.20 | 400.00 | 175.18 | 120.00e | 57.91 | 65.19 | 59.82 |
| 2023 | 2 399.33 | 722.15 | 430.50 | 426.00 | 179.94 | 114.58e | 67.25 | 73.42 | 64.44 |
| 2024 | 2 431.37 | 757.64 | 402.80 | 416.00 | 178.94 | 136.57e | 54.24 | 71.20 | 94.55 |
Land Allocation: How Countries Prioritize Farmland
EU member states dedicated a total of 140.75 thousand hectares to cucumber cultivation over the 2020–2024 period (28.15 thousand ha/yr). Spain allocates the largest area, followed by Poland and Romania.
Spain's 40.36 thousand hectares (8.07 thousand ha/yr) represents nearly 29% of the EU's total cucumber farmland. Poland and Romania together account for a further 36.5% of the EU area despite producing only 21.2% of total output — reflecting their lower yields. The Netherlands achieves the most efficient land use in the bloc, producing 17.1% of EU output from just 2.3% of the cucumber farmland.
| Member State | Area (1 000 ha) | Annual Avg (1 000 ha/yr) | % of EU Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 40.36 | 8.07 | 28.7% |
| Poland | 29.40 | 5.88 | 20.9% |
| Romania | 21.90 | 4.38 | 15.6% |
| Italy | 9.92 | 1.98 | 7.0% |
| Greece | 9.42 | 1.88 | 6.7% |
| France | 8.56 | 1.71 | 6.1% |
| Netherlands | 3.21 | 0.64 | 2.3% |
| Germany | 1.94 | 0.39 | 1.4% |
| Other EU | 15.99 | 3.20 | 11.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which EU country produces the most cucumbers?
Spain is the largest cucumber producer in the European Union, accounting for 30.6% of total EU output with 3.79 million tonnes over 2020–2024, averaging 758 thousand tonnes per year.
Why is Dutch cucumber yield so high?
The Netherlands achieves a yield of approximately 658 t/ha — over 7 times the EU average — due to widespread use of greenhouse cultivation and controlled-environment agriculture, allowing year-round production in a small land footprint.
How has EU cucumber production changed between 2020 and 2024?
EU cucumber production declined from 2.60 million tonnes in 2020 to 2.43 million tonnes in 2024, a decrease of 6.5%, driven largely by reduced output in Poland and a sharp collapse in Romania's production.
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.