Only 541 tractors were registered in December 2025, according to figures from the Agricultural Engineers Association, a drop of 31.6% compared to the year before.
It is the lowest recorded figure for December since 2016, and was a quarter below the five-year average.
It brings the total for 2025 to 8,791, 14.2% lower than the total for 2024.
According to the AEA, it is the lowest figure since the organisation began keeping records in the 1960s, however, it goes further and states that it is almost certainly the lowest number of tractors recorded since before World War II – although this is skewed slightly due to the significant increase in the size of machinery sold.
While there have been other notable downturns in registrations, last year is believed to be one of the most difficult ever experienced by the industry.