Insee Première · October 2021 · n° 1876

The standard of living of farm households is poorer in livestock rearing areas

In France, three-quarters of farmers are male and more than half are aged 50 or over. The median standard of living of farming households is comparable to that of all households with earned income. However, the disparities among farm households are more pronounced and such households are more likely to be affected by income poverty.

On average, only a third of the income of farm households comes from agricultural activity. The majority of their earnings come from other activities, particularly those of the farmer’s spouse, and a fifth comes from assets and in particular from tenant farming. This distribution is highly heterogeneous according to the agricultural orientation of the areas in question.

Income from farming is lower in livestock rearing areas than in crop production areas. It is especially low in beef cattle farming areas. Conversely, income is often higher in wine-growing areas and in areas that combine a range of field crops.