Integrated Farm Structure Survey; 2020, 2023

The Integrated Farm Statistics provides information on the number of agricultural holdings, area and use of agricultural land, agricultural production methods (tillage, soil cover in winter, irrigation), livestock populations, animal housing facilities, fertiliser management, agricultural machinery and equipment, labour force in agriculture, and other gainful activities.

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Integrated Farm Statistics covers economically active agricultural holdings producing agricultural goods or maintaining soil at good agricultural and environmental condition, the utilised agricultural area in which exceeded 1 ha or Standard Output (SO) of which exceeded 70 euro, regardless of the agricultural area.

The data are collected and compiled in accordance with the criteria set out in:

• Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on integrated farm statistics and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1166/2008 and (EU) No 1337/2011;
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1874 of 29 November 2018 on the data to be provided for 2020 under Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council on integrated farm statistics and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1166/2008 and (EU) No 1337/2011, as regards the list of variables and their description;
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2286 of 16 December 2021 on the data to be provided for the reference year 2023 pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council on integrated farm statistics as regards the list of variables and their description and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 1200/2009;

EU legislation requires Member States to carry out agricultural censuses every ten years, but in between the censuses (from 2020 to 2029) an Integrated Farm Statistics survey must be conducted every three years (in 2023 and 2026).

Statistics database

Eurostat (statistical office of the European Union) is responsible for publishing high-quality Europe-wide statistics and indicators that enable comparisons between countries and regions. Statistics for agriculture is available in the Eurostat database, in section Agriculture, forestry and fisheries / Agriculture.

The data are comparable with the Farm Structure Survey results. Comparable data are available since 2001.

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The data source is Integrated Farm Statistics survey conducted as Agricultural Census in 2020 and as a sample survey in 2023. Agricultural holdings are selected from the Statistical Farm Register.

Data sources in Agricultural Census 2020

• CSB questionnaire Agricultural Census 2020 (AC-2020);
• Administrative sources:
  • • Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS), EU Direct Payments Database managed by the Rural Support Service (RSS) for the information on the area of crops sown;
    • RSS IACS information on projects that have received payments covered by the support measures;
    • Animal Register managed by the Agricultural Data Centre (ADC) for the information on the number of livestock in holdings, including information on livestock bred using organic production methods;
    • Housing facilities infrastructure and manure storage register managed by the ADC for the information about animal housing facilities and manure management in holdings;
    • Organic farming information system managed by the ADC for the information about certified areas of organically grown crops and conversion period areas in farms.

Data sources in Integrated Farm Statistics 2023

• CSB questionnaire Integrated Farm Statistics 2023 (IFS-2023);
• Administrative sources:
  • • RSS IACS, EU Direct Payments Database for the information on the crop areas;
    • RSS IACS information on projects that have received payments covered by the support measures;
    • ADC Animal Register for the information on the number of livestock in holdings, including information on livestock bred using organic production methods;
    • Housing facilities infrastructure and manure storage register managed by the ADC for the information about manure management, manure storage facilities,  animal housing facilities, animal feeding systems in holdings;
    • Organic farming information system managed by the ADC for the information about certified areas of organically grown crops and conversion period areas in farms.

Reference date

Agricultural Census 2020

• Land use – 2020
• Area of agriculture crops – areas sown for the 2020 harvest
• Number of livestock – 1 July 2020
• Labour force in agriculture – 12 months prior the reporting date, from 1 July 2019 to 1 July 2020
• Rural development support measures – a period of three years, from 2018 to 2020

Integrated Farm Statistics 2023

• Land use, machinery and equipment – 2023
• Area of agriculture crops – areas sown for the 2023 harvest
• Number of livestock – 1 July 2023
• Labour force in agriculture – 12 months prior the reference or reporting date, from 1 July 2022 to 1 July 2023
• Rural development support measures – a period of three years, from 2021 to 2023

Sample size

Agricultural Census 2020 was conducted as a census, in accordance with the physical thresholds defined in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018.

The following thresholds were used:

• 5 hectares of utilised agricultural area, or
• 2 hectares arable land, or
• 0.5 hectares of potatoes, vegetables, or strawberry plantations, or
• 0.2 hectares of medicinal plants, culinary plants, herbs, flowers and ornamental plants, nurseries, or
• 0.3 hectares of fruit trees or berries, or
• 100 m2 of greenhouses or cultivated mushrooms, or
• number of livestock met at least 1.7 livestock units.

Agricultural holdings with areas or livestock numbers below the specified thresholds were surveyed using a sampling method. The sample size was 2 000 farms.

The sample for the Integrated Farm Statistics 2023 was built as a stratified simple random sample. The survey covered economically active agricultural holdings with a standard output (SO) exceeding 70 euro and with at least 1 hectare of utilised agricultural area. The holdings were stratified by location (NUTS 3), farm type (specialisation), and economic size. The survey included a total of 22 000 agricultural holdings.

The data are extrapolated to the holdings included in the framework extension, taking into account the number of similar holdings represented by the sampled holdings and the actual response rate in each of the survey areas.

Administrative grouping of holdings is based on the main production site, to which all managed land and farmed animals are assigned for reporting purposes. The main production site is defined as the location with the largest land parcel or the main livestock housing facility.