The Headline: A Breadbasket Under Pressure
What does Hungary grow? Eurostat's crop statistics (dataset apro_cpsh1, 2016-2025) describe a classic Pannonian breadbasket — wheat, grain maize, sunflower, barley — that has spent the decade fighting weather. Across the crops tracked in this dataset, Hungary harvested roughly 17.1 million tonnes in 2025, down sharply from the early years of the window.
Wheat and spelt lead the current list: 5.79 million tonnes (5 791.0 thousand tonnes) in 2025, 4.0% of EU production and eighth place in the bloc. Grain maize and corn-cob-mix followed with 3.85 million tonnes (3 848.9 thousand tonnes, 6.4% of the EU total, seventh) — less than half its 2016 level.
The bright spot is sunflower: 1.72 million tonnes (1 721.4 thousand tonnes) made Hungary the EU's second-largest producer with 20.2% of output, behind Romania (1.81 million tonnes / 1 807.9 thousand tonnes) and ahead of Bulgaria (1.60 million tonnes / 1 600.8 thousand tonnes).
All values in 1 000 t. b = break in series, d = definition change, e = estimated, p = provisional.
| Crop | 2025 production (1 000 t) | Share of EU | EU rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat and spelt | 5791.0 | 4.0% | 8 |
| Grain maize and corn-cob-mix | 3848.9 | 6.4% | 7 |
| Sunflower seed | 1721.4 | 20.2% | 2 |
| Barley | 1695.0 | 3.0% | 8 |
| Green maize | 665.4 | 0.8% | 13 |
| Lucerne | 637.7 | 3.2% | 7 |
| Sugar beet (excluding seed) | 581.2 | 0.5% | 16 |
| Grapes | 420.6 | 1.9% | 7 |
The Sunflower Standard: Hungary's Podium Crops
Sunflower is Hungary's signature crop — the field where the country competes at the very top of the EU. Its 1 721.4 thousand tonnes in 2025 ranked second behind Romania, and its 709.4 thousand hectares of sunflower (15.2% of the EU area, +12.7% since 2016) make it one of the bloc's three great sunflower powers alongside Romania and Bulgaria.
Two smaller crops also reached the podium: sorghum, where 168.5 thousand tonnes (19.1% of EU output) took third place behind Italy and France after a ten-fold expansion from just 16.1 thousand tonnes in 2016, and linseed, where 4.4 thousand tonnes ranked second behind France's dominant 39.6 thousand tonnes.
Beyond the podium, Hungary is a credible mid-table EU producer in grapes (420.6 thousand tonnes, seventh), rapeseed (417.3 thousand tonnes, ninth), triticale (247.8 thousand tonnes, eighth) and barley (1 695.0 thousand tonnes, eighth).
All values in 1 000 t. Hungary's top-three EU rankings in the latest year available.
| Crop | Latest production (1 000 t) | Share of EU | EU rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower seed | 1721.4 | 20.2% | 2 | 2025 |
| Linseed (oilflax) | 4.4 | 6.3% | 2 | 2024 |
| Sorghum | 168.5 | 19.1% | 3 | 2025 |
Volume Watch: A Decade of Declining Harvests
The decade's ledger is sobering. Grain maize and corn-cob-mix fell 55.7% net, from 8.68 million tonnes (8 679.2 thousand tonnes) in 2016 to 3.85 million tonnes (3 848.9 thousand tonnes) in 2025, with the deepest single-year drawdown at -57.0% — the fingerprint of the 2022 drought and dry autumns since. Sugar beet slid 48.2% (to 581.2 thousand tonnes) and rapeseed 54.9% (to 417.3 thousand tonnes).
Forage and feed crops tell the same story: green maize dropped 76.4% (to 665.4 thousand tonnes) and lucerne — the classic alfalfa of Hungarian dairy farming — fell 72.0% (to 637.7 thousand tonnes). Potatoes (221.0 thousand tonnes, -48.5%) and apples (208.8 thousand tonnes, -58.0%) also roughly halved.
Wheat is the exception that proves the rule: 5.79 million tonnes (5 791.0 thousand tonnes) in 2025 stood 3.4% above the 2016 level, with the smallest drawdown of Hungary's big crops (-17.7%) — a very stable 7.7% CV across the decade.
All values in 1 000 t. Net change between the first and last year of the 2016-2025 window.
| Crop | Hungary 2016 (1 000 t) | Hungary 2025 (1 000 t) | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat and spelt | 5603.2 | 5791.0 | +3.4% |
| Grain maize and corn-cob-mix | 8679.2 | 3848.9 | -55.7% |
| Sunflower seed | 1875.4 | 1721.4 | -8.2% |
| Barley | 1594.2 | 1695.0 | +6.3% |
| Green maize | 2817.9 | 665.4 | -76.4% |
| Lucerne | 2280.7 | 637.7 | -72.0% |
| Rape and turnip rape seeds | 925.0 | 417.3 | -54.9% |
| Potatoes (including seed potatoes) | 429.4 | 221.0 | -48.5% |
| Apples | 497.1 | 208.8 | -58.0% |
The Yield-per-Hectare Race
Hungary's yields sit in the EU's lower-middle tier, reflecting drier summers. Its 2025 wheat and spelt yield of 5.51 tonnes per hectare ranked 16th of the 26 countries with data — just below Romania (5.64 t/ha) and just above Poland (5.49 t/ha), and far behind Ireland (9.92 t/ha), the Netherlands (9.14 t/ha) and Belgium (9.08 t/ha).
Potato yields averaged 28.35 t/ha in 2025 (16th place), against 48.87 t/ha in leading Denmark, 46.11 t/ha in the Netherlands and 45.96 t/ha in Germany.
Stability grades split the crop list in two: wheat (CV 7.7%) and sunflower (10.8%) grade from Very stable to Moderately stable, while grain maize (29.3%), rapeseed (28.6%), lucerne (27.1%) and apples (26.3%) are all Volatile — a decade in which weather, not farming skill, set the ceiling.
Yields (R1000 potatoes, C1100 wheat) for 2025, in tonnes per hectare. N/A where the series has no 2025 value.
| Country | Wheat yield 2025 (t/ha) | Potato yield 2025 (t/ha) |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 8.6 | 48.87 |
| Netherlands | 9.14 | 46.11 |
| Germany | 7.83 | 45.96 |
| France | 7.26 | 42.2 |
| Romania | 5.64 | N/A |
| Hungary | 5.51 | 28.35 |
| Poland | 5.49 | N/A |
Land Use, Stability and What Buyers Should Know
Land use mirrors the volume story. Hungary kept its wheat area essentially flat (+0.7% to 1 051.8 thousand hectares, 4.4% of the EU total) and even expanded sunflower (+12.7% to 709.4 thousand hectares) and lucerne (+9.4% to 208.2 thousand hectares). The cuts came elsewhere: grain maize area shrank 27.1% to 737.1 thousand hectares, rapeseed 44.0% to 143.8 thousand hectares, potato area 52.5% to 7.8 thousand hectares and apple orchards 33.3% to 21.7 thousand hectares.
For buyers, the message is crop-specific. Wheat supply from Hungary is dependable (CV 7.7%, Very stable) and sunflower reasonably steady (10.8%); anything forage-related — green maize (CV 26.6%), lucerne (27.1%) — or drought-exposed, such as grain maize (29.3%) and sugar beet (25.2%), is Volatile. Flags in the source data (b = break, d = definition change, e = estimated, p = provisional) deserve a check before comparing years.
All values in 1 000 ha. b = break in series, d = definition change, e = estimated, p = provisional.
| Crop | 2025 area (1 000 ha) | Change since 2016 | Share of EU area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat and spelt | 1051.8 | +0.7% | 4.4% |
| Grain maize and corn-cob-mix | 737.1 | -27.1% | 8.7% |
| Sunflower seed | 709.4 | +12.7% | 15.2% |
| Barley | 290.7 | -7.1% | 2.9% |
| Lucerne | 208.2 | +9.4% | 8.3% |
| Rape and turnip rape seeds | 143.8 | -44.0% | 2.4% |
| Grapes | 56.8 | -16.6% | 1.9% |
| Potatoes (including seed potatoes) | 7.8 | -52.5% | 0.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country produces the most sunflower seed in the EU?
Romania, with 1.81 million tonnes (1 807.9 thousand tonnes) in 2025 — but Hungary is a close second at 1.72 million tonnes (1 721.4 thousand tonnes, 20.2% of EU output), ahead of Bulgaria (1.60 million tonnes / 1 600.8 thousand tonnes).
Is Hungary a major wheat producer?
A mid-table one with an excellent supply record. Its 2025 harvest of 5.79 million tonnes (5 791.0 thousand tonnes) ranked eighth in the EU (4.0% of output), but the decade's coefficient of variation was just 7.7% — a Very stable grade few larger producers can match.
What happened to Hungarian maize?
The 2022 drought and dry years since cut grain maize and corn-cob-mix from 8.68 million tonnes (8 679.2 thousand tonnes) in 2016 to 3.85 million tonnes (3 848.9 thousand tonnes) in 2025 (-55.7% net), with green maize (fodder) down 76.4%. Hungary remains seventh in the EU for grain maize.
Are Hungarian harvests stable?
Wheat is (CV 7.7%, Very stable) and sunflower is reasonably steady (10.8%). But grain maize (29.3%), rapeseed (28.6%), lucerne (27.1%) and apples (26.3%) all grade Volatile across 2016-2025 — Hungary's decade was defined by drought as much as by harvests.
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.
