The Doubling: EU Hemp Output in Numbers
EU-27 hemp production rose from 97.1 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 193.1 thousand tonnes in 2024 — a net gain of 98.8%, which is just short of a doubling. Expressed as a compound annual growth rate (CAGR, the constant yearly rate that would connect those two endpoints), the decade runs at 8.97% per year.
The path was uneven. Output jumped to 123.5 thousand tonnes in 2016 and 168.1 thousand tonnes in 2017, eased to 152.8 thousand tonnes in 2019 and peaked at 209.9 thousand tonnes in 2021. It then fell back to 177.4 thousand tonnes in 2022 and 162.2 thousand tonnes in 2023 before recovering to 193.1 thousand tonnes in 2024. The published EU series carries no 2020 value: Eurostat flags the 2020 figure as not available.
The internal swing is wide — the 2021 peak sits 116.1% above the 2015 low of 97.1 thousand tonnes — but the direction holds. Every published year after 2015 stays above the starting level, and even the 2019 trough of 152.8 thousand tonnes is 57.3% above it.
Hemp production, EU-27, 2015-2024, dataset apro_cpsh1. Values in 1 000 t. Dash = no value published for 2020.
| Year | EU-27 production (1 000 t) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 97.1 |
| 2016 | 123.5 |
| 2017 | 168.1 |
| 2018 | 169.8 |
| 2019 | 152.8 |
| 2020 | — |
| 2021 | 209.9 |
| 2022 | 177.4 |
| 2023 | 162.2 |
| 2024 | 193.1 |
France's 70%: One Country Holds the Boom
In 2024 France produced 135.5 thousand tonnes of hemp — 70.2% of the EU-27 total — followed by the Netherlands at 24.6 thousand tonnes (12.7%), Poland at 3.6 thousand tonnes (1.9%), Italy at 3.1 thousand tonnes (1.6%), Lithuania at 2.8 thousand tonnes (1.4%) and Austria at 2.1 thousand tonnes (1.1%).
A decade earlier France already led with 61.8 thousand tonnes and a 63.7% share, ahead of the Netherlands (14.6 thousand tonnes, 15.0%). France then outgrew the EU average: +119.2% over the window at a CAGR of 9.11% per year, against the EU-27's +98.8% and 8.97%.
In absolute terms France added 73.7 thousand tonnes between 2015 and 2024, against an EU-27 net gain of 96.0 thousand tonnes. The French series is not a straight line — it dipped to 78.0 thousand tonnes in 2019 and peaked at 141.5 thousand tonnes in 2021 — yet its share of EU output rose from 63.7% to 70.2%, a gain of 6.5 percentage points.
France and the EU-27 total at four points in the window, dataset apro_cpsh1. France's share was 63.7% in 2015 and 70.2% in 2024.
| Year | France (1 000 t) | EU-27 (1 000 t) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 61.8 | 97.1 |
| 2019 | 78.0 | 152.8 |
| 2021 | 141.5 | 209.9 |
| 2024 | 135.5 | 193.1 |
What the Data Records — and What It Cannot Say
Two quantities moved together. EU hemp area rose from 20.54 thousand hectares in 2015 to 35.96 thousand hectares in 2024, a gain of 75.1%, while output rose 98.8%. Production divided by area gives an implied yield of 4.73 t/ha in 2015 and 5.37 t/ha in 2024, +13.6%: the decade brought both more land and more output per hectare.
The dataset records area and harvested production. It does not record end uses, prices, buyer categories or the destination of the crop. Any explanation of the growth in terms of fibre, construction materials or CBD-linked products therefore lies outside what apro_cpsh1 supports: the expansion is visible in the data, its causes are not.
What the data does locate is where the growth happened. France supplied 73.7 of the EU-27's 96.0 thousand-tonne net gain and the Netherlands 10.0, while Poland added 0.1 thousand tonnes and both Austria and Italy produced less in 2024 than in 2015.
Output, area and implied yield, EU-27, 2015 vs 2024, dataset apro_cpsh1. Implied yield = production divided by area.
| Measure | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU-27 output (1 000 t) | 97.1 | 193.1 | +98.8% |
| EU-27 area (1 000 ha) | 20.54 | 35.96 | +75.1% |
| Implied yield (t/ha) | 4.73 | 5.37 | +13.6% |
Area and Output: Where the Growth Physically Came From
The EU's 75.1% area increase is smaller than its 98.8% output increase, but the country detail is uneven. France nearly doubled its hemp area, from 11.78 to 22.96 thousand hectares (+94.9%). The Netherlands grew from 2.04 to 3.37 thousand hectares (+65.2%) and Poland from 0.60 to 1.05 thousand hectares (+75.0%).
Poland is the clearest case of area rising without output following: its harvested area expanded 75.0% while production moved only +3.7%, so its implied yield falls from 5.83 to 3.46 t/ha. Italy went the other way, cutting area 35.8% (0.53 to 0.34 thousand hectares) for an output change of -1.3% and an implied yield rising from 5.94 to 9.15 t/ha. Austria reduced area 53.0% and output 48.9%.
Germany publishes area but no production in this dataset: 1.5 thousand hectares in 2015 rising to 4.8 in 2024 (+220.0%), the largest relative area expansion recorded here, with no harvested-production value to compare it against. That gap matters for anyone reading the German area figures as a supply signal.
Hemp area change against output change, 2015 vs 2024, dataset apro_cpsh1. Dash = no production value published for Germany.
| Series | Area 2015 (1 000 ha) | Area 2024 (1 000 ha) | Area change | Output change 2015-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU-27 | 20.54 | 35.96 | +75.1% | +98.8% |
| France | 11.78 | 22.96 | +94.9% | +119.2% |
| Netherlands | 2.04 | 3.37 | +65.2% | +68.3% |
| Poland | 0.60 | 1.05 | +75.0% | +3.7% |
| Italy | 0.53 | 0.34 | -35.8% | -1.3% |
| Austria | 1.17 | 0.55 | -53.0% | -48.9% |
| Germany | 1.50 | 4.80 | +220.0% | — |
Entry Notes From the Data: Concentration, Volatility and the Second Tier
Volatility here is the coefficient of variation (CV, the standard deviation relative to the mean over 2015-2024). The EU-27 series is the steadiest of the group at 20.0%. France, the dominant producer, is close to it at 23.2%, and the Netherlands at 25.0%. Poland is the outlier at 69.3%, followed by Austria at 45.4% and Italy at 33.1%.
Outside the top two the volumes are thin: Poland 3.6 thousand tonnes (1.9% of EU output), Italy 3.1 (1.6%), Lithuania 2.8 (1.4%) and Austria 2.1 (1.1%). France and the Netherlands alone account for 82.9% of the 2024 EU total, and France's 22.96 thousand hectares are 63.8% of the EU hemp area of 35.96 thousand hectares.
Three entry notes follow from the data. First, concentration: the two largest producers hold 82.9% of EU output, so most European hemp volume is decided in France and the Netherlands. Second, volatility: France's CV of 23.2% against Poland's 69.3% shows that one crop label carries very different year-to-year profiles. Third, publication gaps: there is no EU production value for 2020, no German production series, and Lithuania appears in the 2024 ranking at 2.8 thousand tonnes without a full country series in this extract. The dataset carries no variety, rotation or buyer-channel fields, so those entry questions cannot be settled from it.
Hemp output, share and coefficient of variation of the six largest 2024 producers, dataset apro_cpsh1. Dash = no full series for Lithuania in this extract.
| Country | 2024 output (1 000 t) | Share 2024 | CV 2015-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 135.5 | 70.2% | 23.2% |
| Netherlands | 24.6 | 12.7% | 25.0% |
| Poland | 3.6 | 1.9% | 69.3% |
| Italy | 3.1 | 1.6% | 33.1% |
| Lithuania | 2.8 | 1.4% | — |
| Austria | 2.1 | 1.1% | 45.4% |
| EU-27 | 193.1 | 100.0% | 20.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hemp farming growing in Europe?
Yes, in this dataset: EU-27 hemp production rose from 97.1 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 193.1 thousand tonnes in 2024, a net gain of 98.8% (CAGR 8.97% per year). The growth is not steady — the EU-27 series carries a coefficient of variation of 20.0% over the window.
Which country grows the most hemp in the EU?
France, with 135.5 thousand tonnes in 2024 — 70.2% of EU-27 output — ahead of the Netherlands (24.6 thousand tonnes, 12.7%) and Poland (3.6 thousand tonnes, 1.9%).
Why does France dominate EU hemp production?
The dataset shows the size of the gap, not its cause. France produced 135.5 thousand tonnes in 2024 (70.2% of EU output), up from 61.8 thousand tonnes and a 63.7% share in 2015, and holds 22.96 of the EU's 35.96 thousand hectares. apro_cpsh1 records area and harvested production only; it contains no end-market, price or buyer information, so a demand-side explanation cannot be derived from it.
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.
