Selling and rental prices of agricultural land
Kontakt
Contact organisation: Statistics Estonia
Contact organisation unit: Economic and Environmental Statistics Department
Contact name: Pille Veidenberg
Contact person function: Agricultural and Technology Statistics Service Team, Leading Analyst
Contact mail address: Tatari 51, 10134 Tallinn, Estonia
Contact email address: pille.veidenberg@stat.ee
Contact phone number: 372 5887 2904
Metadata last certified 13/10/2025
Metadata last update 13/10/2025
Purpose
The aim of the statistical activity is to provide input for assessing the impact of direct payments to farmers under the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) on the selling and rental prices of agricultural land. The information on agricultural land prices is also used, if necessary, for the compilation of economic accounts for agriculture.
Statistical presentation
Data description (S.3.1)
The output indicators published in Statistics Estonia's database are the rental cost of agricultural land and the price of agricultural land, including separately the price of arable land and the price of permanent grassland (by county). The same indicators are also submitted to Eurostat. No distinction is made between the irrigated and non-irrigated areas as regards the price of land in Estonia since the share of irrigation is very small.
Classification system (S.3.2)
Sector coverage (S.3.3)
Agriculture
Statistical concepts and definitions (S.3.4)
Arable land – land worked regularly, generally under a system of crop rotation
Average rent per hectare of agricultural land – all rent expenses per hectare of utilised agricultural area paid by lessee in a calendar year
Average sale price per hectare of agricultural land – average price per hectare of utilised agricultural area sold in a calendar year
Permanent grassland – land used to grow grass and other herbaceous crops, through cultivation (sown) or naturally (self-seeded) and which is not included in the crop rotation for more than five years. Species suitable for grazing should be included, provided that grass and other herbaceous crops remain dominating.
Utilised agricultural area – area utilised by agricultural holdings for agricultural production or maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition (incl. arable land, permanent grassland, fruit and berry plantations, nurseries and kitchen gardens).
Average rent per hectare of agricultural land – all rent expenses per hectare of utilised agricultural area paid by lessee in a calendar year
Average sale price per hectare of agricultural land – average price per hectare of utilised agricultural area sold in a calendar year
Permanent grassland – land used to grow grass and other herbaceous crops, through cultivation (sown) or naturally (self-seeded) and which is not included in the crop rotation for more than five years. Species suitable for grazing should be included, provided that grass and other herbaceous crops remain dominating.
Utilised agricultural area – area utilised by agricultural holdings for agricultural production or maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition (incl. arable land, permanent grassland, fruit and berry plantations, nurseries and kitchen gardens).
Statistical unit (S.3.5)
Sale transaction;
rent transaction
rent transaction
Statistical population (S.3.6)
Transactions in selling and renting agricultural area
Reference area (S.3.7)
Estonia as a whole
Time coverage (S.3.8)
2009–…
Base period (S.3.9)
Not applicable
Institutional mandate
Legal acts and other agreements (S.6.1)
Official Statistics Act.
Since 2025, statistics on the selling and rental prices of agricultural land are produced in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules for the application of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1579 as regards agricultural price statistics.
Since 2025, statistics on the selling and rental prices of agricultural land are produced in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules for the application of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1579 as regards agricultural price statistics.
Data sharing (S.6.2)
None
Accessibility and clarity
News release (S.10.1)
News releases in the field of agriculture can be read on Statistics Estonia's website in the section Agriculture news.
The production of news releases is decided on a rolling basis.
The production of news releases is decided on a rolling basis.
Publications (S.10.2)
Not published
On-line database (S.10.3)
Data are published in the statistical database under the subject area Economy/Agriculture / Economic accounts for agriculture in the table PM59: Utilised agricultural land prices and rents per hectare by county.
Data tables - consultations (S.10.3.1)
The database tables related to the survey were viewed 2,245 times in 2024, 1,988 times in 2023, 4,958 times in 2022, 3,138 times in 2021, 1,217 times in 2020, 1,084 times in 2019 and 789 times in 2018.
Each table view is counted as a separate viewing. This is based on the database URLs, which show that the data have been selected and the table formed.
Each table view is counted as a separate viewing. This is based on the database URLs, which show that the data have been selected and the table formed.
Micro-data access (S.10.4)
The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 33, § 34, § 35, § 36, § 38 of the Official Statistics Act.
Access to microdata and anonymisation of microdata are regulated by Statistics Estonia’s procedure for dissemination of confidential data for scientific purposes.
Access to microdata and anonymisation of microdata are regulated by Statistics Estonia’s procedure for dissemination of confidential data for scientific purposes.
Other (S.10.5)
If necessary data serve as input for statistical activity 21207 “Economic accounts for agriculture”.
Selling prices of agricultural land are transmitted to Eurostat by the end of September of the year following the reference year, and rental prices of agricultural land by the end of December of the year following the reference year. The data are transferred to Eurostat via the EDAMIS web portal.
A quality report is compiled and submitted to Eurostat every five years.
Selling prices of agricultural land are transmitted to Eurostat by the end of September of the year following the reference year, and rental prices of agricultural land by the end of December of the year following the reference year. The data are transferred to Eurostat via the EDAMIS web portal.
A quality report is compiled and submitted to Eurostat every five years.
Metadata - consultations (S.10.5.1)
The metadata related to the statistical activity were viewed 276 times (1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024). This figure does not represent the number of viewers, as the metadata may have been viewed multiple times by a single user.
Documentation on methodology (S.10.6)
The statistical activity is guided by Eurostat's handbook Statistics on agricultural land prices and rents.
Quality documentation (S.10.7)
This statistical activity is guided by the European Statistics Code of Practice – revised edition, 2017.
Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council, a report is prepared describing the methodology applied and the quality achieved. A summary of the quality report is published with the data on the Eurostat website Land prices and rents. The quality report covers the survey as a whole and is prepared according to the latest valid standard.
Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council, a report is prepared describing the methodology applied and the quality achieved. A summary of the quality report is published with the data on the Eurostat website Land prices and rents. The quality report covers the survey as a whole and is prepared according to the latest valid standard.
Statistical processing
Source data (S.18.1)
This is an activity based on administrative data. For rental prices of agricultural land, the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) of the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge is used as input. For selling prices of agricultural land, the data on sales of agricultural land from the Land and Spatial Development Board are used as input.
Frequency of data collection (S.18.2)
Year
Data collection (S.18.3)
The data are received in aggregated form by email.
Data validation (S.18.4)
Arithmetic and qualitative checks are used in the validation process, including comparison with data from previous periods.
Data compilation (S.18.5)
In 2009–2012, only the transactions with agricultural land that were made by legal persons whose main economic activity is agriculture were registered.
In 2013–2019, data on sale transactions and in 2014–2018 also rent transactions were published on the basis of administrative data (data of the Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB), the Land and Spatial Development Board, the Centre of Registers and Information Systems, and the Estonian Tax and Customs Board were processed).
Since 2019, land rents have been published on the basis of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) of the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge.
Since 2020, selling prices have been published in co-operation with the Land and Spatial Development Board by processing the data of the Land and Spatial Development Board and ARIB.
When processing the Land and Spatial Development Board data, a transaction has been excluded in the following cases:
- according to ARIB, the share of land use is less than 90% of the respective land use type;
- the transaction object is not designated 100% as profit yielding land;
- the transaction object is built up;
- the type of the transaction object is not immovable property;
- the transaction type is not sale-purchase;
- one transaction party is the state or local government, excl. state and local government auctions;
- the number of immovables is more than one;
- at the time of transaction, the transferred immovable was encumbered with building rights or usufruct;
- it is a block transaction – several transaction objects are sold under the same notarial contract;
- the parties to the transaction are connected (business or family relations, etc.);
- there is some other known circumstance that indicates that the transaction did not take place in free market conditions;
- the area of the transaction object is less than two hectares;
- it is a repeat transaction; of the repeated transactions made on the same day, the transaction with the lowest price is excluded;
- the unit price of the transaction does not correspond to the threshold prices.
Data values are not imputed.
In 2013–2019, data on sale transactions and in 2014–2018 also rent transactions were published on the basis of administrative data (data of the Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB), the Land and Spatial Development Board, the Centre of Registers and Information Systems, and the Estonian Tax and Customs Board were processed).
Since 2019, land rents have been published on the basis of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) of the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge.
Since 2020, selling prices have been published in co-operation with the Land and Spatial Development Board by processing the data of the Land and Spatial Development Board and ARIB.
When processing the Land and Spatial Development Board data, a transaction has been excluded in the following cases:
- according to ARIB, the share of land use is less than 90% of the respective land use type;
- the transaction object is not designated 100% as profit yielding land;
- the transaction object is built up;
- the type of the transaction object is not immovable property;
- the transaction type is not sale-purchase;
- one transaction party is the state or local government, excl. state and local government auctions;
- the number of immovables is more than one;
- at the time of transaction, the transferred immovable was encumbered with building rights or usufruct;
- it is a block transaction – several transaction objects are sold under the same notarial contract;
- the parties to the transaction are connected (business or family relations, etc.);
- there is some other known circumstance that indicates that the transaction did not take place in free market conditions;
- the area of the transaction object is less than two hectares;
- it is a repeat transaction; of the repeated transactions made on the same day, the transaction with the lowest price is excluded;
- the unit price of the transaction does not correspond to the threshold prices.
Data values are not imputed.
Imputation - rate (S.18.5.1)
Not applicable
Adjustment (S.18.6)
Not applicable
Seasonal adjustment (S.18.6.1)
Not applicable