Agriculture; labour force by region

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Gender Periods Persons Regularly employed Regularly employed, total (number) Persons Regularly employed Family labour Family labour, total (number) Persons Regularly employed Family labour Holder (number) Persons Regularly employed Family labour Spouse (number) Persons Regularly employed Family labour Family workers (number) Persons Regularly employed Non-family labour Non-family labour, total (number) Persons Regularly employed Non-family labour Manager (number) Persons Regularly employed Non-family labour Other persons regularly employed (number) Persons Not regularly employed (number)
Total 2000 280,584 194,292 93,138 43,338 57,816 86,292 4,251 82,041 .
2005 235,450 163,387 77,749 41,190 44,448 72,063 4,001 68,062 .
2010 211,751 148,045 68,141 42,683 37,221 63,706 4,183 59,523 .
2015 185,714 130,489 59,471 . . 55,225 4,442 50,783 .
2016 172,705 118,360 51,609 . . 54,345 4,079 50,266 .
2017 170,440 116,288 50,684 . . 54,152 4,165 49,987 .
Male 2000 188,885 132,436 85,621 3,626 43,189 56,449 4,062 52,387 .
2005 152,365 105,406 70,969 3,528 30,909 46,959 3,822 43,137 .
2010 136,490 93,346 64,152 1,804 27,390 43,144 3,977 39,167 .
2015 124,331 86,129 55,796 . . 38,202 4,184 34,018 .
2016 115,865 77,834 48,865 . . 38,031 3,904 34,127 .
2017 114,265 76,214 47,844 . . 38,051 3,985 34,066 .
Female 2000 91,699 61,856 7,517 39,712 14,627 29,843 189 29,654 .
2005 83,085 57,981 6,780 37,662 13,539 25,104 179 24,925 .
2010 75,261 54,699 3,989 40,879 9,831 20,562 206 20,356 .
2015 61,383 44,360 3,675 . . 17,023 258 16,765 .
2016 56,840 40,526 2,744 . . 16,314 175 16,139 .
2017 56,175 40,074 2,840 . . 16,101 180 15,921 .
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains data at regional level on the number of persons employed on agricultural holdings, the corresponding annual work units (AWUs) and the number of holdings with workers.

The figures in this table are derived from the agricultural census. Data collection for the agricultural census is part of a combined data collection for a.o. agricultural policy use and enforcement of the manure law.

Regional breakdown is based on the main location of the holding. Due to this the region where activities (crops, animals) are allocated may differ from the location where these activities actually occur.

The agricultural census is also used as the basis for the European Farm Structure Survey (FSS). Data from the agricultural census do not fully coincide with the FSS. In the FSS years (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2010)
additional information was collected to meet the requirements of the FSS.

Data on labour force refer to the period April to March of the year preceding the agricultural census.

Data available from: 2000

Status of the figures: the 2025 figures are provisional; the other figures are final.

Changes as of November 28, 2025: the provisional 2025 figures have been added.

When will new figures be published?
According to regular planning provisional figures for the current year are published in November and the definite figures will follow in March of the following year.

Description topics

Persons
Persons working on the agricultural holding.
Regularly employed
Persons working regularly at the holding, generally on the basis of a permanent contract.
Regularly employed, total
Family labour
Family labour, total
Holder
If the legal personality of the holding is a natural person or a cooperation of natural persons, there is a holder.
If the legal personality of the holding is a legal person there is a manager.
_
The holder is the person on whose account and in whose name the holding is operated and who is legally and economically responsible for the holding, i.e. who takes the economic risks of the business.
_
If there is joint responsibility or management the holder is the person with the largest business responsibility. If all persons have equal responsibility, the eldest is considered holder. In most cases the holder is also the manager.
_
Note: In the agricultural census information on the manager is only available if the holding is a legal person. For the European Farm Structure Survey information on the manager is asked additionally if the holding is a natural person.
Spouse
Spouse of the holder/manager, working regularly at the holding.
Family workers
Family members of the holder/manager, working regularly at the holding.
_
Family members are relatives in the first or second degree (brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild), aged 16 years and over.
Non-family labour
Non-family labour, total
Manager
If the legal personality of the holding is a natural person or a cooperation of natural persons, there is a holder.
If the legal personality of the holding is a legal person there is a manager.
_
The manager is the person responsible for the normal daily financial and production routines of running the holding concerned.
_
In the agricultural census information on the manager is only available if the holding is a legal person. This also means that the number of managers represents the number of legal persons.
If the holding is a natural person the holder is in most cases also the manager.
_
For the European Farm Structure Survey information on the manager is asked additionally if the holding is a natural person.
Other persons regularly employed
Persons working regularly at the holding, excluding family workers and
managers.
Not regularly employed
Persons working on a non-regular basis, usually on contracts for a fixed time, for specific work or occasional work.
_
For persons not regularly employed only the number of working days is known, therefore only annual work units (AWU) and the number of holdings are available.
_
In 2003 and from 2005 onwards this includes labour from persons working on the holding but employed by a third party or under mutual-aid arrangements (e.g. labour supplied by agricultural contractors or cooperatives). Third party labour was not surveyed from 2000 to 2002 and in 2004. Unfortunately it cannot be determined whether or not this
labour was included.