UK tractor registrations are taken as a broad indicator of the strength of the domestic market for agricultural equipment. Tractors must be licensed for use on public roads and as such are registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) which allows an accurate count to be made. In value terms, sales of tractors, plus parts and accessories, account for almost one half of farmers’ total spend on equipment, which again makes this data series a prime indicator.
Agricultural Tractor Registrations (>50hp): Monthly 2024-2026
| Year | Month | Units | Yearly % Change | Year to date | Yearly % Change | Moving Total | Yearly % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jan | 475 | -26.2 | 475 | -26.2 | 11647 | -0.7 |
| Feb | 477 | -2.1 | 952 | -15.8 | 11637 | -0.0 | |
| Mar | 1939 | -12.8 | 2891 | -13.8 | 11353 | -4.5 | |
| Apr | 1158 | -9.5 | 4049 | -12.6 | 11231 | -6.5 | |
| May | 964 | -5.0 | 5013 | -11.3 | 11180 | -4.8 | |
| Jun | 869 | -23.0 | 5882 | -13.2 | 10921 | -8.5 | |
| Jul | 948 | -13.6 | 6830 | -13.3 | 10772 | -10.7 | |
| Aug | 495 | -30.7 | 7325 | -14.7 | 10553 | -11.6 | |
| Sep | 899 | -19.3 | 8224 | -15.2 | 10338 | -13.7 | |
| Oct | 818 | -18.8 | 9042 | -15.6 | 10149 | -15.9 | |
| Nov | 408 | -1.4 | 9450 | -15.0 | 10143 | -13.7 | |
| Dec | 791 | +14.1 | 10241 | -13.3 | 10241 | -13.3 | |
| 2025 | Jan | 462 | -2.7 | 462 | -2.7 | 10228 | -12.2 |
| Feb | 300 | -37.1 | 762 | -20.0 | 10051 | -13.6 | |
| Mar | 1466 | -24.4 | 2228 | -22.9 | 9578 | -15.6 | |
| Apr | 986 | -14.9 | 3214 | -20.6 | 9406 | -16.2 | |
| May | 803 | -16.7 | 4017 | -19.9 | 9245 | -17.3 | |
| Jun | 852 | -2.0 | 4869 | -17.2 | 9228 | -15.5 | |
| Jul | 880 | -7.2 | 5749 | -15.8 | 9160 | -15.0 | |
| Aug | 402 | -18.8 | 6151 | -16.0 | 9067 | -14.1 | |
| Sep | 932 | +3.7 | 7083 | -13.9 | 9100 | -12.0 | |
| Oct | 746 | -8.8 | 7829 | -13.4 | 9028 | -11.0 | |
| Nov | 421 | +3.2 | 8250 | -12.7 | 9041 | -10.9 | |
| Dec | 541 | -31.6 | 8791 | -14.2 | 8791 | -14.2 | |
| 2026 | Jan | 502 | +8.7 | 502 | +8.7 | 8831 | -13.7 |
Source: AEA Economics Department/DVLA
Annual Market Summary (2025): The tractor market remained at a low ebb during 2025, due to a lack of confidence in the farming sector. This was prompted by factors including uncertainty about future agricultural and tax policy, challenging weather conditions, increased costs and weak prices for some commodities, notably arable crops. Tractor registrations fell by 14%, compared with the previous year, the second consecutive year-on-year decline at a similar rate, with just 8,791 machines recorded. In six of the seven years before 2024, the total was between 11,500 and 12,100, so the 2025 figure was well below average. Indeed, it is the lowest annual total since the AEA began tracking registrations in the 1960s, meaning tractor sales were almost certainly at their lowest level since before World War II.
Historic Trends: After a period of relative stability between 2017 and 2023, barring the pandemic-affected year of 2020, the tractor market has experienced significant declines in two consecutive years. Almost all power bands saw a decline in registrations between 2024 and 2025 but the biggest falls were at the top end of the power range. The number of tractors over 240hp registered last year was down by nearly a third, compared with the year before, reflecting the challenging financial position of arable farmers, who are the main buyers of these larger machines. Below that level, the decline was a more modest 11%. Nevertheless, the 11% share of the total accounted for by machines over 240hp was still higher than in any year before 2024. The decline in the number of the largest machines meant that the average power of tractors registered during 2025 was lower than the year before for the first time since 2021. It fell from just under 180hp in 2024 to 173hp a year later, which is also slightly below the level recorded in 2023 but is higher than in all previous years. As a result, the total power of tractors registered during the year fell to a 24-year low of 1.52 million hp.
Regional Trends: The number of tractors registered in 2025 was lower than the year before across most of the country, although the South West of England was an exception. Here, slightly more machines were logged that in 2024 but numbers were down everywhere else. That perhaps reflects the better fortunes of the dairy sector, which makes up a sizeable proportion of agriculture in that region. The South East of England and Northern Ireland also saw relatively small declines but the rest of the country recorded year-on-year falls of at least 10%. Yorkshire, the East Midlands and North Wales were the worst affected regions, with less than three-quarters as many registrations as in 2024.
Source: AEA Economics Department
| 2023 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Units | % of Total | Units | % of Total |
| CNH of which: New Holland Case IH | 3680 2481 1199 | 27.6 18.6 9.0 | 3408 2270 1138 | 29.0 19.3 9.7 |
| John Deere | 4040 | 30.3 | 3304 | 28.1 |
| AGCO of which: MF Fendt Valtra | 2934 1404 958 572 | 22.0 10.5 7.2 4.3 | 2571 1295 859 417 | 21.9 11.0 7.3 3.5 |
| Kubota | 836 | 6.3 | 715 | 6.1 |
| Claas | 473 | 3.5 | 420 | 3.6 |
| Same Deutz-Fahr | 207 | 1.6 | 220 | 1.9 |
| JCB | 293 | 2.2 | 212 | 1.8 |
| AgriArgo of which: McCormick Landini | 128 103 25 | 1.0 0.8 0.2 | 90 72 18 | 0.8 0.6 0.2 |
| Others | 752 | 5.6 | 821 | 7.0 |
| Total UK | 13343 | 100.0 | 11761 | 100.0 |
N.B. Data includes Compact Tractors (<= 50 hp) and Agricultural tractors (> 50 hp)
Data released after one year delay due to the requirements of Competition Law.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units | 10380 | 12017 | 11580 | 11816 | 10241 | 8791 |
| Annual % Change | -13.8 | +15.8 | -3.6 | +2.0 | -13.3 | -14.2 |
| Total horsepower (000′s) | 1775 | 1999 | 1950 | 2055 | 1840 | 1520 |
| Annual % Change | -11.2 | +12.6 | -2.5 | +5.4 | -10.5 | -17.4 |
| Average horsepower | 171.0 | 166.3 | 168.4 | 173.9 | 179.7 | 172.9 |
| Annual % Change | +3.0 | -2.7 | +1.2 | +3.3 | +3.3 | -3.8 |