2.9 Age & Gender Profile of Farmers

According to the CoA 2020, more than half of farm holders were aged 55 or over. Farm holders over 65 years of age made up 33% of all farm holders in comparison to 26% in 2010. In 2020, 25% of farm holders are in the 55 to 64 years age group. The number of young farmers under 35 years old was 7% in 2020, up slightly on the 2010 figure of 6%.

The average age of farm holders has increased over the past thirty years. In the 1991 agriculture census the average age of Irish farmers was 51.9 years of age. It dropped in the year 2000 to 51 before rising again in the next two census of agriculture reaching 57.2 years in 2020, up 5.3 years over those 29 years. The median age, or the middle value when data is ordered from least to greatest, is similar to the average age rising from 52 years in 1991 to 57 in 2020.

Table 2.6 Mean and Median Age of Farm Holder, 1991 – 2020

1991 2000 2010 2020
Average age	51.9	51	54.4	57.2
Median age	52	50	55	57

Source: CSO

Between 1991 and 2020, the proportion of male farmers fell from 90% to 87% of all farm holders, reflecting the growing proportion of female farm holders relative to 30 years ago. However, while in 2020, 13.4% of farm holders were female, there was significant differences in the percentage of female farm holders depending on the region of the country.

15.00%

Figure 2.22 Percentage of Female Agricultural Holdings by Region, 2020

14.50%

14.00%

13.50%

13.00%

12.50%

12.00%

11.50%

11.00%

10.50%

10.00%

MidlandsBorder South-

Mid- West

DublinMid-EastIreland South-

West

East

West

Source: CSO

In the midlands region 11.7% of the farm holders were female compared to the national average of 13.4%. The largest proportion of female farm holders were in the west region, covering counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, while the southwest region also had a higher percentage of female farm holders than nationally. The southwest region covers counties Cork and Kerry.

The CoA also provided details of the average age of farmers by county. As shown in the map the youngest farmers are from Cork where the median age is 55 years, while the farm holders from Galway and Mayo are the oldest with a median age of 60 years. Farm holders in the other three Connaught counties, namely Leitrim, Sligo and Roscommon are just a year younger at 59 years, the same age as farm holders in Dublin.

Figure 2.23 Average age of the farm holder by county, 2020

N/A 60
	N/A 60
	59 58
	57 56
55

Source: CSO

In the Census of Population 2022 the CSO gathered data on the age of the workforce. Among the population over the age of 15 in the labour force, 3% were 65 years or more with a further 16% aged between 55 years and 64. However, among those over 15 years who worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 20% were 65 years or older while there was a further 27% aged between 55 and 64, meaning that close to half of the people working in agriculture, forestry and fishing were 55 years or older compared to 19% in the general labour force.

Figure 2.24 Proportion of Population in the Labour Force and in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing by Age Group, 2022

30%

Figure 2.24 Proportion of Population in the Labour Force and in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing by

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0% 15 - 24 years 25 - 34 years 35 - 44 years 45 - 54 years 55 - 64 years 65 years and over

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Total in labour force

Source: CSO

Figure from page 62