Information on data
Traditionally, land has been used as a mean to collect official statistics, for example on agriculture. However, not many statistics about land are available at country or European level. Instead, official statistics linked to land are spread among different statistical fields, such as agriculture, environment, forestry, and are not always well integrated with one another.
Since 2006, Eurostat carries out the land use and coverage area frame survey (LUCAS) every 3 to 4 years to identify changes in the European Union in:
- land use, meaning the socioeconomic use of land, for instance, agriculture, forestry, recreation, or residential use
- land cover, for instance crops, grass, broad-leaved forest, or built-up area.
These statistics are collected in cooperation with the EU countries.
The most important specific land cover/use data collection activities concern agriculture, forestry, and the environment.
The latest available statistics come from the LUCAS survey 2018, which covered over 330 000 points across EU countries.
The most recent LUCAS survey took place from March 2022 to July 2023. An first release of the microdata is already available.
Surveyors examine land cover and land use, irrigation management, and structural elements in the landscape. The points at which measurements are taken can fall on all land cover types, such as cropland, grassland, forest, built-up areas, transport networks, etc.
A 500 gram topsoil sample is taken at 1 out of 10 points. The sample is analysed in a laboratory and used to:
- assess environmental factors
- update European soil maps
- validate soil models
- measure the quantity of organic carbon in the soil.
The surveyors have clear instructions to map and photograph the selected point with a minimum of disturbance and not cause damage of any kind.
Eurostat asks all landowners, agricultural businesses, and responsible authorities for cooperation, especially for access to the land and permission to take soil samples where necessary.
LUCAS survey provides information on the land cover, land use, and other agricultural and environmental parameters.
The land cover/use statistics derived from the LUCAS survey are unique as they are fully standardised using the same definitions and methodology.
The data are available broken down by level 2 of the nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS). The landscape indicators are available at country level for the surveys between 2009 and 2015.
Data on land cover/use status and changes provide territorial information that is useful in analysing how agriculture, the environment, and the countryside affect each other. They are notably used for example for:
- nature protection
- forest and water management
- urban and transport planning
- agricultural policy
- prevention and mitigation of natural hazards
- soil protection and mapping
- monitoring climate change
- monitoring biodiversity.
Land cover/use data also form the basis for spatial and territorial analyses, which are crucial for the planning of policies.
Please consult our information on how to access the LUCAS photos
The datasets for the LUCAS topsoil module include data from soil samples, taken from EU countries from 2009 onwards. Samples were analysed to determine:
- the percentage of coarse fragments
- particle size distribution (% clay, silt and sand content)
- pH (in CaCl2 and H2O)
- organic carbon (g/kg)
- carbonate content (g/kg)
- phosphorous content (mg/kg)
- total nitrogen content (g/kg)
- extractable potassium content (mg/kg)
- cation exchange capacity (cmol(+)/kg).
Multispectral properties are available for most samples.
Aggregated data and maps can be downloaded from the Joint Research Center website. More detailed information can be found on the LUCAS topsoil survey.