Structure of holdings

According to the results of the farm structure survey 2016, a total of 162 018 agricultural and forestry holdings exist in Austria. Compared to the last similar survey in 2013, the number of holdings decreased by 2.6%. The degree of regression has slowed down slightly: In 2013 7 000 enterprises (-4.0%) less were counted than in 2010 (173 317), whereas 20 years ago still 239 099 agricultural and forestry holdings had been surveyed.

Farms and farm structure

Though the structure of Austria’s agriculture remains small-scale, however, a trend towards larger holdings is still unbroken: Some 20 years ago one holding managed a total area of 31.8 ha on average, in 2016 this average has grown to 45.0 ha. A similar development was observed for the utilised agricultural area (arable land, kitchen gardens, permanent crops, permanent grassland), where an increase from 15.3 hectares to 19.8 hectares was recorded.

This general tendency can also be monitored in livestock farming. Some 20 years ago one agricultural holding kept 20 cattle in average; since then the average has risen to 32 cattle. The per-holding-average of swine stock increased even faster: an increase from 35 pigs in 1995 to 109 pigs in 2016 can be noted.

Out of the total of 162 018 holdings, 36% were run as main activity farms, whereas 55% were part-time farms (total working time of the couple owning the farm above resp. below 50%) - that means around 91% of the agricultural and forestry enterprises in Austria were run as family holdings. The remaining 9% were holdings of joint shareholders or legal persons. In comparison, in 2013, 37% of all holdings were run as main activity farms and 55% as part-time farms. The share of holdings of joint shareholders or legal persons amounted to 8%.  

404 734 persons were employed in agriculture and forestry (-2.3% less than in 2013), of which 333 178 (82%) family members. About one third of the agricultural and forestry holdings were run by women.

The evaluation by forms/types of farms revealed that 57 997 (36%) holdings focused on the keeping of cattle, sheep or goats. 49 913 (31%) farms specialized in forestry and 20 841 (13%) were classified as cash crop farms due to the cultivation of cereals, oil crops, root crops and industrial crops.

58 716 holdings (36%) were classified as mountain farms in accordance with administrative data.

The trend towards organic farming continued: According to the results of the farm structure survey 2016, 22 508 farms (17%) were managed as organic farms. Compared to the year 2013, this means an increase of 1 752 farms (+8.4%). The organically cultivated agricultural area covered 570 808 ha. The majority of the organic farms had their focus on the raising of cattle, sheep and goats.

Agricultural and forestry holdings in Austria 1951 to 2016
Agricultural and forestry holdings and their total area 1990, 1999, 2010, 2013 and 2016
Farm Structure Survey 2010: Holdings and total area in comparison to 2003, 2005 and 2007 by Länder

Structure of HoldingsPrice in € *)Free Download

 
 

Agrarstrukturerhebung 2010
This publication contains detailed information concerning the structure of agricultural and forestry holdings, their production potential, their human resources situation and the contribution of ...

Release date: 05/2013 ISBN:978-3-902791-76-4

 
 

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Statistik der Landwirtschaft 2019
Data on the structure of agricultural and forestry holdings, the cultivation and harvesting of plant products as well as on livestock (including aquaculture) are the most important statistical ...

Release date: 11/2020 ISBN:978-3-903264-59-5

 
 

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Statistik der Landwirtschaft 2018
Data on the structure of agricultural and forestry holdings, the cultivation and harvesting of plant products as well as on livestock (including aquaculture) are the most important statistical ...

Release date: 10/2019 ISBN:978-3-903264-25-0

 
 

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Statistik der Landwirtschaft 2017
Data on the structure of agricultural and forestry holdings, the cultivation and harvesting of plant products as well as on livestock (including aquaculture) are the most important statistical ...

Release date: 09/2018 ISBN:978-3-903106-89-5

 
 

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