In 2025, the average farmland lease rate in Uruguay reached USD 133 per hectare per year, up 3.3% from 2024, according to official data from Uruguay’s Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) via its statistics office, DIEA.
Uruguay’s rural rental market is as transparent and well-documented as its farmland sales market . This is a rare feature among Latin American agricultural markets, and one that matters for any investor comparing entry points into Uruguay farms and ranches.
This report breaks down that data by land use, region, and contract length — and what it means for investors weighing whether to buy Uruguay land for sale outright, lease it out, or do both.
Uruguay recorded 2,831 farmland lease contracts in 2025, up 1% year-over-year, covering 900,696 hectares . It means aa 3% decline in total leased area versus 2024. Total contract value reached nearly USD 120 million.
Since 2016, Uruguay’s farmland lease market has followed a consistent seasonal pattern: the second half of the year outpaces the first. In 2025, July–December accounted for 1,580 contracts over 515,103 hectares worth almost USD 70 million, at an average of USD 136/ha/year , 5% above the first-half average. The single busiest quarter was June–September, with 836 contracts signed.
Paysandú (105,033 ha), Artigas (100,589 ha) and Salto (98,795 ha) led the country in leased hectares in 2025, together accounting for 34% of all land under lease. DIEA’s geographic density mapping shows two concentration hotspots in Artigas (livestock and mixed crop-livestock operations) and one in northeastern Río Negro (livestock-focused).
Area, however, isn’t the same as price. The highest average rental rates were in Soriano (USD 257/ha/year), Colonia (USD 243) and San José (USD 237) — the same intensive-agriculture departments that also command the highest farmland sale prices. Artigas (USD 83/ha/year) and Salto (USD 85/ha/year) offer the most accessible entry points for investors prioritizing scale over intensity.
Livestock, dryland row-crop agriculture, and mixed crop-livestock operations together account for 92% of all leased area and 89% of total lease value. Livestock remains the largest single category at 511,629 hectares (57% of area under lease), followed by mixed crop-livestock (193,650 ha, 21%) and dryland agriculture (119,179 ha, 13%).
Average lease rates vary sharply by land use. Dryland agriculture led at USD 275/ha/year, followed by dairy (USD 223/ha/year), forestry (USD 169/ha/year, up 10% year-over-year) and rice (USD 174/ha/year). Mixed crop-livestock land averaged USD 161/ha/year, while livestock — the largest category by area — averaged USD 85/ha/year.
The most common lease term in 2025 was four to five years, accounting for 31% of leased area (738 contracts, nearly 280,000 hectares) , a notable shift toward longer commitments. Two-year contracts remained the most numerous by count (704 contracts, 23% of area), and three-year leases saw the sharpest price increase, up 10% year-over-year to average USD 141/ha/year.
DIEA’s “Land Price Series” now spans 26 consecutive years (2000–2025): 58,287 lease contracts, 20.4 million hectares, and nearly USD 2.31 billion transacted. The historical average lease rate is USD 113/ha/year, ranging from a low of USD 24/ha/year in 2002 to a high of USD 174/ha/year in 2014.
Cross-referencing the 2025 average lease rate (USD 133/ha/year) against the 2025 average farmland sale price (USD 4,178/ha, per DIEA’s companion sales report), Uruguay farmland currently generates a gross rental yield of roughly 3.2% per year — a contractual, government-tracked cash return, independent of land appreciation.
For investors evaluating Uruguay land for sale as part of a real-asset or inflation-hedge strategy, that combination of dollar-denominated appreciation plus a documented rental income stream, is what sets Uruguay farms and ranches apart from less transparent markets in the region.
Escritorio Arrospide has operated in Uruguay’s rural real estate and livestock brokerage market since 1978, working with local and international investors across farmland sales, leasing, and livestock operations. We’re founding members of CUIR (Cámara Uruguaya de Inmobiliarias Rurales) and members of ACG.
Source: MGAP Land Price Series of the DIEA: Farmland Leasing in Uruguay: Farmland Leases Official Data
The national average was USD 133 per hectare per year in 2025, though rates range from about USD 85/ha/year for livestock land to USD 275/ha/year for dryland row-crop agriculture, depending on land use and region.
Yes. Uruguay places no restrictions on foreign ownership or leasing of rural land, unlike several neighboring countries.
Based on 2025 DIEA data, average lease income (USD 133/ha/year) against the average sale price (USD 4,178/ha) implies a gross rental yield of approximately 3.2% per year, before land appreciation.
Soriano, Colonia and San José — Uruguay’s most intensive row-crop agriculture departments — had the highest average lease rates in 2025, each above USD 235/ha/year.
Tuesday March 12th, 2024 | Por Arrospide
