AbstractThis study is an analysis of the influence that the socio‐economic context may have on irrigation performance. The main objective is to provide useful information to support the decision‐making processes of farmers, water user associations, policy‐makers and agritech companies. For this purpose, 34 centre pivots were evaluated in Aragon (Spain) and Utah (USA). Utah has a lower agricultural production potential than Aragon, and crop production is a secondary activity with respect to livestock production on many farms. In Aragon, farms are mainly devoted to crop production. These and other features may bias farmers' decisions regarding investment, operation and maintenance of their irrigation systems. This bias may be the underlying cause of the lower irrigation uniformity obtained in Utah. Coefficients of uniformity (CU) averaged 90% in Aragon and 80% in Utah. The gap between the actual and potential (90%) CU translates into an estimated net land productivity reduction of −18% (€66 ha−1, US$89 ha−1) in Utah. Measures aimed at closing this gap could cost less than €15 ha−1 (US$20 ha−1). Multidisciplinary approaches are required to quantify these gaps and to understand their causes in order to bridge them in a cost‐effective manner. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.