Agricultural farm production.

In 2024, the index of agricultural labour productivity in the EU is estimated to have risen year-on-year by 1.6%. This information is based on the first estimates for 2024 from the economic accounts for agriculture.

The increase was supported by a 0.6% rise in the real value of factor income generated by units engaged in agricultural production activities and a reduction (-0.9%) in the volume of agricultural labour.

This information comes from data on agriculture published by Eurostat today.

Agricultural labour productivity increased in 13 EU countries in 2024. The sharpest rate of increase was in Latvia (+46.9%), followed by Luxembourg (+27.1%) and Sweden (+22.5%). 
By contrast, there were lower levels in 14 EU countries. The steepest rates of decline were registered in Romania (-16.8%), Hungary (-15.5%) and Poland (-12.5%). 

Agricultural labour productivity 2024, first estimates. Bar chart - Click below to see full dataset

Source dataset: aact_eaa06

The gross value added of the EU’s agricultural industry went up by 4.4% in 2024 compared with the previous year, after a steady performance (0.4%) in 2023 compared with 2022. This increase stems from the value of the intermediate consumption decreasing at a higher pace (-5.7%) than the value of agricultural output (-1.5%). 

EU agricultural labour productivity 37% higher in 2024 than in 2015

The index of EU real factor income in 2024 was 11.0% higher than in 2015 while the index of agricultural labour input declined by 19.1% over the same period. Together, these changes resulted in EU agricultural labour productivity being 37.2% higher in 2024 compared with 2015.

EU agricultural labour productivity and components, 2015-2024. Line chart - Click below to see full dataset

Source datasets: aact_eaa05, aact_eaa06 and aact_ali02 

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Methodological notes

  • The agricultural labour productivity data in this news item is indicator A (index of the real income of factors in agriculture per annual work unit) from Eurostat dataset aact_eaa06. The data in figure one report the year-on-year changes between 2023 and 2024. The first estimates of the economic accounts for agriculture are compiled from the partial information available. Eurostat will publish revised data on 15 May 2025.
  • The labour productivity of the agricultural industry can be measured as real factor income expressed per full-time labour equivalent. This measures the remuneration of all factors of production (land, capital, labour) by the equivalent of each full-time worker in the agricultural industry, presented in real terms (adjusted for inflation) and expressed as an index. 

  • Agricultural labour productivity should not be confused with the total income of farming households or the income of a person working in agriculture.

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