While UK agricultural tractor registrations in the first half of 2026 reached 5,955 machines, or 22% more than in January to June 2025, it is interesting to look at how trends varied between power ranges and across different parts of the country. The average power of tractors registered during the six-month period was little changed from a year before, at around 173hp.
Year-on-year growth was apparent across most of the power range, with the only exceptions being at the bottom (100hp and under) and top (over 320hp). In those two ranges, the number of machines registered were down by 7% and 13%, respectively, compared with the same period last year. The strongest growth was in the 241-320hp range. That is perhaps an indication that some farmers may have chosen to buy a smaller machine than they might ordinarily have done, given the constrained finances in the arable sector.
The only two regions to see lower numbers of tractors being registered so far this year than in 2025 were the South East and East Midlands, although both only recorded small year-on-year falls. That corresponds with a general trend, which saw slower growth in the south and east of England than elsewhere in the UK. The fastest growth was in Northern Ireland, where registrations were up by more than half; indeed, the number of machines recorded there so far this year is already over 90% of the total for the whole of 2025. Registrations in the West Midlands grew almost as quickly, while Yorkshire also saw strong growth.
