News Farmland
Land market cools down, prices down and fewer sales
The Dutch market for agricultural land showed a slight cooling in the first quarter of 2026. Both land prices and the number of transactions decreased compared to the end of 2025, although prices remain clearly above last year's annual average.
The average price of agricultural land came in at €101.700 per hectare in the first quarter. This is a decrease of 2,9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, when €104.700 per hectare was paid. Despite this decline, the price is still 6,6% higher than the average for the whole of 2025 (€95.400 per hectare), according to the quarterly report by the Land Registry and Wageningen Social & Economic Research.
Price developments vary by soil type. Arable land remained relatively stable, with a decrease of 0,6% to €115.000 per hectare. This places the price 7,8% above the 2025 level.
Grassland showed a larger correction. The price fell by 6,4% to €88.800 per hectare, following an increase of 17,7% in the previous quarter. On an annual basis, grassland remains slightly in positive territory, with a price 2,8% higher than the 2025 average.
Less land traded
Not only prices, but also land mobility decreased. In the first quarter, 8.500 hectares of agricultural land changed hands. That is 4,5% less than in the same period a year earlier.
Looking at a longer period, the market remains reasonably stable. Over the last four quarters combined, 33.500 hectares were traded, an increase of 1,8% compared to a year earlier. This brought the relative land mobility to 1,88%, compared to 1,83% in the preceding period.
Major regional differences
The differences in land prices between provinces remain significant. In the first quarter, prices ranged from €69.900 per hectare in Friesland to €206.500 per hectare in Flevoland. In most other provinces, prices lie between €89.200 in Groningen and €120.500 per hectare in North Brabant.
It is striking that the national price fell, while increases were still occurring in many provinces. This difference is due to the calculation method used: provincial figures are based on moving averages over four quarters and therefore react more slowly to recent market developments.
Regional trends: increases and decreases
In the Northern Netherlands, land prices rose in Friesland (+6,0%) and Drenthe (+5,2%), while Groningen showed a decrease (-1,8%).
In the eastern Netherlands, prices increased in Gelderland (+6,9%) and Overijssel (+4,6%). Flevoland remains an outlier with the highest prices and an increase of 4,0%.
In the west, the picture was mixed: Utrecht saw an increase (+8,1%), South Holland rose (+3,1%), while North Holland fell slightly (-0,8%).
In the south, prices rose in North Brabant (+2,8%) and Limburg (+1,9%), while Zeeland remained virtually stable (-0,3%).
Mobility shifts regionally
Land mobility also shows regional differences. Over the past four quarters, relative mobility varied from 0,95% in Flevoland to 2,8% in Limburg.
It is striking that mobility decreased in Flevoland and Overijssel, among others, while it increased in provinces such as Limburg, North Holland, and Utrecht.
Market in calmer waters
The figures indicate that the agricultural land market will calm down in 2025 following the strong price increases. The slight price decline and decrease in transactions point to a pause, while the price level remains historically high.
John Ramaker
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