The Farm Structure Survey (FSS) statistics provide harmonised data on agricultural holdings in the EU, including:
Number of agricultural holdings
Land use and area (crops)
Livestock
Main crops
Farm Labour Force (including age, gender and relationship to the holder)
Economic size of the holdings
Type of activity
Other gainful activity on the farm
System of farming
Machinery
Organic farming
Uses of the data
The purpose of the Farm Structure Surveys is to obtain reliable data, at regular intervals, on the structure of agricultural holdings in the European Union in order to:
Assess the agricultural situation across the EU
Monitor trends and transitions in the structure of European farms (agricultural holdings)
Manage, evaluate and design the Common Agricultural Policy in its environmental, economical and social aspects.
FSS data is also used in other policy areas such as environment, regional development and climate change.
Frequency of the surveys
Every ten years, a full scope survey is carried out in the form of an agricultural census.
The Agricultural Census 2010 took place in EU Member States. The data are currently under validation process and the first validated results are published in the database. Provisional results for all countries are available in Statistics Explained: Agricultural census 2010 - provisional results
Every 2 or 3 years, between the censuses, sample surveys are carried out.
The last sample survey was carried out in 2007. See results in the database.
Statistics Explained