Press Release: Agricultural holdings in the EU in 2000. One in every two holders in the EU is aged over 55. The area of their holdings is half the average

In 2000, 52% of individual farmers in the EU were aged over 55 and 29% over 65. Young farmers under 35 made up only 8% of the total.

The proportion of farmers aged over 55 was highest (60%) in holdings with mixed crops and those with specialist permanent crops (vines, olive groves, orchards etc.). Since these crops are mainly concentrated in the southern regions of the EU, it is not surprising that, overall, the proportion of farmers aged over 55 was highest in Portugal (65%), Italy (62%), Greece (56%) and Spain (53%).

In the EU, the lowest proportion of farmers aged over 55 was recorded in Finland (25%), followed by Germany (28%) and Austria (29%). It was also in Germany and Austria that the highest proportion of farmers aged under 35 was recorded (16% each).

On average in the EU, the size of holdings measured in terms of utilised agricultural area was greatest in the 35-44 age group. The area of holdings then decreased with age: a farmer aged over 55 farmed on average half the number of hectares than for a farmer aged under 45.