The number of beehives recorded on EU farms rose to 9.4 million in 2023, up 16% from 2020.
The data cover beehives on farms captured in the EU’s farm structure statistics, meaning they do not include all beehives across the bloc, Eurostat reported on Wednesday.
Italy had almost 1.9 million beehives on farms in 2023 — the highest total among EU countries — followed by Romania with 1.7 million, Greece with 1.2 million and Bulgaria with 1.0 million.
Overall, the number of beehives increased by 1.3 million compared with 2020, rising from 8.1 million to 9.4 million.
Increases and falls across member states
Among countries with available data, beehive numbers increased in 12 EU countries between 2020 and 2023, with the biggest rise in Italy at +822,490 beehives, or 79%, Eurostat reported.
Beehive numbers fell in 10 countries over the same period, with the largest decreases in Hungary at -152,110, or 34%, and Spain at -131,440, or 14%.
Bees pollinate a wide range of crops and can survive colder periods by overwintering in hives and using honey reserves.
The figures were published to mark World Bee Day, which is intended to raise awareness of the role of bees and other pollinators.
