Geographies in Depth

EU farms: 5.3 million fewer in 2020 than in 2005

A view of animals on a farm.

Image: Pexels/Pixabay

Eurostat
  • There were fewer EU farms of all types in 2020 than in 2005, but declines in some types were much sharper.
  • Almost three-fifths of those in existence in 2020 were categorised as specialist crop farms, with just over a fifth running as specialist livestock farms.
  • High proportions of crop specialist farms were found in many Eastern European countries, while specialist livestock farms were more prevalent in northwest Europe.

In 2020, there were 9.1 million farms in the EU. This is an estimated 5.3 million fewer farms than in 2005 (the equivalent of a decline of about 37%).

Farms can be classified according to the activities that dominate farm income. Some farms earn income from diverse activities (mixed farming), while others earn income mainly from either crops or livestock. Specialised farming refers to when one activity accounts for at least two-thirds of the total standard output of a farm.

Although there were fewer EU farms of all types in 2020 than in 2005, declines in some types of farms were much sharper than others; there were 2.6 million fewer mixed farms, 1.6 million fewer livestock specialist farms and 0.9 million fewer crop specialist farms.

A graphic showing EU farm specialisations, 2020.
Different types of farms in the EU. Image: Eurostat.

Almost three-fifths (58%) of all farms in 2020 were categorised as specialist crop farms: just over one-third (34%) specialised in field cropping, about one-fifth (22%) in permanent crops and a small share (2%) in horticulture.

Slightly more than one-fifth (22%) of the EU’s farms were specialist livestock farms, with specialisation in dairying being the most common type (5% of all farms), followed by cattle-rearing and fattening, poultry, and sheep, goats and other grazing livestock (each 4%).

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In 2020, just under one-fifth (19%) of all farms in the EU were mixed farms, meaning that they had multiple crops and/or livestock without a single activity making up at least two-thirds of standard output.

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Some farms (1% of the total) could not be classified because they are subsistent in nature or because they produce goods for which no standard output can be calculated.

Half of the EU’s utilised agricultural area found on crop specialist farms

In 2020, just over half (52%) of the EU’s utilised agricultural area (UAA) was found on crop specialist farms, with about one-third (33%) on livestock specialist farms and the rest on mixed farms (15%). At country level, the share of UAA managed by each specialisation type strongly correlated with the number of farms by type of specialisation.

A bar chart showing utilised agricultural area in different regions of the EU.
What EU agricultural land is used for. Image: Eurostat.

In broad terms, high proportions of crop specialist farms were observed in many Eastern European countries, such as Bulgaria (73%), Hungary (72%), and Romania (67%), as well as in Mediterranean countries like Greece (74%), Malta (63%), and Croatia (61%). This often reflected favourable conditions for growing particular kinds of cereals, fruit and/or olives.

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Specialist livestock farms were more prevalent in several countries in northwest Europe, such as Luxembourg (82% of all farms), Ireland (79%) and the Netherlands (58%).

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