Soil Health Descriptors and Socio-Demographic-Economic Context: A Dataset for the European Union

Soil degradation is a pressing concern in the European Union, affecting all major land use types, including agriculture, forests, and urban areas. Existing studies often identify explanatory variables for soil degradation, but large-scale, comprehensive datasets are limited. This dataset, compiled at the NUTS2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, level 2–a European regional classification system) level, integrates socio-demographic factors, land use changes, and soil health descriptors from 2005 to 2023. It includes variables such as population dynamics, material deprivation, land tenure, and soil health challenges (erosion, compaction, salinity, soil organic carbon levels, and industrial pollution). The soil descriptors used were derived from secondary geospatial datasets, including ESDAC, processed via GIS techniques. Designed for use in spatial planning, agriculture, and environmental research, this dataset facilitates multivariate and regression analyses to explore socio-economic impacts on soil health. By merging diverse descriptors from multiple sources, it provides a valuable resource for understanding soil degradation and supporting evidence-based policymaking.