Skip to content

Agricultural and horticultural economy

How have prices for agricultural products and inputs evolved? What is the total net profit and total debt for agriculture and horticulture? Here you will find the economy illustrated by figures at sector and farm level.

Explainer on…

A technical-economic unit producing agricultural products.

Selected statistics on Agricultural and horticultural economy

This page shows selected popular statistics on the subject of Agricultural and horticultural economy. In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data and compile your own statistics.

Full-time farms

Here you can see the development in the number of full-time farms.
More about the figure
Last update
3.10.2024
Next update
11.7.2025
Source data

The main source for compiling the statistics is accounts data for farms, whose accounts are prepared by accounts offices, which are organized within SEGES innovation. The data for the statistics are collected electronically from the accounts system Ø90, where additional and necessary information is supplemented by the accounts offices. In addition to this, accounts data for a number of enterprises, mainly gardening are collected from private accounts offices, which report the data electronically on questionnaires. Another source is the Farm Structure Survey maintained by Statistics Denmark. The register forms the basis for determining the population. Finally, register-based data on paid-out subsidies from the Danish Agricultural Agency are used.

The selection plan is optimized according to the Neumann-criteria, including three target variables. The Neumann allocation is based on the observed spread within strata defined by EU-type * size. The three target variables are Net profit, Debt ratio and investments in agricultural assets and weighted, respectively ½, ¼ and ¼. The selection is divided into 6 main types of agriculture; conventional full-time and part-time holdings, ecological full-time and part-time holdings, and full-time and part-time horticulture.

The Danish sample to FADN is in regulated to 1.600 farms.

Price development of agricultural products

Here you can see the quarterly price development for agricultural products.
More about the figure
Last update
15.11.2024
Next update
17.2.2025
Source data

The prices of agricultural sales and purchases of goods are mainly collected on a monthly basis and are mainly based on reports from companies dealing with the producers of primary agriculture, eg. feed dealers. In addition, among other things, information from industry organizations, public authorities and listings for agriculture-specific matters.

As a price basis for various costs including energy, maintenance, services and investment goods are obtained from data from Statistics Denmark's general price statistics. Information on slaughter and export of live animals, milk weighed in on dairies, eggs weighed in on egg packaging come from administrative records.

More information can be found in the statistics documentation Slaughter animals and meat production, Milk and dairy products, Egg production. More detailed information can be found in the glossary on the final pages of Agriculture's Price Relationship.

Agricultural income

Here you can see the development in the agricultural sector’s total gross domestic product at factor cost.
More about the figure
Last update
26.11.2024
Next update
27.5.2025
Source data

The Economic Accounts for Agriculture consist of data on values of the agricultural production and intermediate consumption from many different statistics produced in Statistics Denmark. It is mainly statistics related to agriculture and the agricultural sector e.g.

Farm structure survey ( number of holdings and areas), Vegetable statistics (harvest results and stocks of crops), Animal statistics (livestock and livestock products), Intermediate Goods (feeding stuffs, fertilizers and pesticides), Accounts Statistics for Agriculture, Prices and price indices for Agriculture.

Data regarding the finance Act are used to the calculation of bank services and taxes. Other than that data from International trade is also used. Finally data from the Danish Agricultural Agency is used to the calculations on subsidies.

Net profit for agriculture and horticulture

Here you can see net profit for full-time farms, subdivided into conventional and organic agriculture and horticulture.
More about the figure
Last update
3.10.2024
Next update
11.7.2025
Source data

The main source for compiling the statistics is accounts data for farms, whose accounts are prepared by accounts offices, which are organized within SEGES innovation. The data for the statistics are collected electronically from the accounts system Ø90, where additional and necessary information is supplemented by the accounts offices. In addition to this, accounts data for a number of enterprises, mainly gardening are collected from private accounts offices, which report the data electronically on questionnaires. Another source is the Farm Structure Survey maintained by Statistics Denmark. The register forms the basis for determining the population. Finally, register-based data on paid-out subsidies from the Danish Agricultural Agency are used.

The selection plan is optimized according to the Neumann-criteria, including three target variables. The Neumann allocation is based on the observed spread within strata defined by EU-type * size. The three target variables are Net profit, Debt ratio and investments in agricultural assets and weighted, respectively ½, ¼ and ¼. The selection is divided into 6 main types of agriculture; conventional full-time and part-time holdings, ecological full-time and part-time holdings, and full-time and part-time horticulture.

The Danish sample to FADN is in regulated to 1.600 farms.

Debt for agriculture and horticulture

Here you can see the development in the total debt for agriculture and horticulture.
More about the figure
Last update
18.10.2024
Next update
17.10.2025
Source data

The main source for compiling the statistics is accounts data for farms, whose accounts are prepared by accounts offices, which are organized within SEGES innovation. The data for the statistics are collected electronically from the accounts system Ø90, where additional and necessary information is supplemented by the accounts offices. In addition to this, accounts data for a number of enterprises, mainly gardening are collected from private accounts offices, which report the data electronically on questionnaires. Another source is the Farm Structure Survey maintained by Statistics Denmark. The register forms the basis for determining the population. Finally, register-based data on paid-out subsidies from the Danish Agricultural Agency are used.

The selection plan is optimized according to the Neumann-criteria, including three target variables. The Neumann allocation is based on the observed spread within strata defined by EU-type * size. The three target variables are Net profit, Debt ratio and investments in agricultural assets and weighted, respectively ½, ¼ and ¼. The selection is divided into 6 main types of agriculture; conventional full-time and part-time holdings, ecological full-time and part-time holdings, and full-time and part-time horticulture.

The Danish sample to FADN is in regulated to 1.600 farms.

On the statistics – documentation, sources and method

Gain an overview of the purpose, contents and quality of the statistics. Learn about the data sources of the statistics, the contents of the statistics and how often they are published.

See the documentation of statistics to learn more:

Accounts Statistics for Agriculture

The purpose of the accounts statistics is to analyze the economics in agriculture including horticulture. Agriculture is divided into conventional and organic farms.

In addition to this, accounts statistics also constitute a substantial input for compiling the national accounts and for EU's information network for Agricultural Book-Keeping, INLB.

The accounts statistics for agriculture, horticulture and organic farming have been calculated, respectively since 1916, 1980 and 1996. The present form of the statistics has been calculated since 2008.

Agricultural investments

The statistics concern agricultural investments and depreciations in farm buildings, land improvements and machinery and equipment. The statistics show e.g. if depreciations exceed investments whereby the capital of the agricultural sector is subject to loss and tear. The statistics have been compiled since 1947 and in its presents it is comparable from 2005 onwards.

Cereal Prices used for Regulation of Land Rents

The purpose of the statistics is to show the development of the farm gate prices (basic prices) for wheat and barley. Farm gate prices are used for example for regulating rents of agricultural land in tenancy and have existed since the beginning of the 17th century. For the period 1910-1970 the prices were calculated for dioceses (church districts under the jurisdiction of a bishop). In the years 1937-1953 only prices for the diocese of Zealand were calculated. In its present form the statistics have been comparable since 1985 with figures for eight different geographic areas.

Economic Accounts for Agriculture

The Economic Accounts for Agriculture (EAA) illustrates the development in the economy in the agricultural sector and serves as input to the National Accounts. Economic Accounts for Agriculture exist back to 1935, but the statistics are in their present form comparable from 1990 onwards.

Economics of Agricultural Activities

The purpose for this statistics for Economics of agricultural activities are to analyze the economic results for individual crops and livestock production. This also applies to horticultural crops. The statistics are based on holdings that have a work equivalent to at least 1 annual work unit (1 AWU equals 1,665 working hours). Holdings are weighted together, achieving a representative statistics for full-time farms. The basic accounts statistics for agriculture has been compiled since 1916 while the economics of agricultural activities is comparable 2021 onwards. In archive a time series for 2008-2021 can be found.

Livestock production

The purpose of Animal Products is to show size of production of animal agricultural products in Denmark. The statistics are used to monitor the price and quantity of development as well as the total value of animal production. The statistics on animal products have a long history and since 1900 it is possible to compare time series for the main figures, but from 1945 there have been adequate statistics in this area.

Prices and price index for agriculture

The purpose of these statistics is to illustrate the evolution of agricultural prices and price indices. The agricultural sales index illustrates price trends for both vegetable and animal sales products and services. A part of the statistics have been calculated since 1956, but since 1970 the most widely definition has been used, which includes horticulture, fur production and products from bees and wild game.

The Supply and Use of Cereals and Feed

The purpose with the statistics on supply and use of cereals and feed is to show the annual use of feed for animals and the use cereals, which is a part of the calculations of the feed consumption. The feed consumption is also calculated after the origin of the feed, if is produced in Denmark or abroad. The statistics is also use for the calculations of the Economic Accounts for Agriculture. The supply and use of cereals and feed have been compiled since 1900, but data in its present form are comparable from 1990 and onwards.

Need more data on Agricultural and horticultural economy?

You can go on searching on your own in Statbank Denmark. Find further details, for example on accounts, agricultural land prices, subsidies as well as volume and price indices for sales and purchases.

 

Economic accounts for agriculture has detailed information on the economy of Danish agriculture and horticulture. The statistics are based on a sample survey of approximately 1,600 holdings (2021). Data is retrieved primarily via separate collection from the joint accounting system Ø90 run by the umbrella organisation Dansk Landbrug, but also from other private accounting firms (in Danish).

Detailed tables

Contact

Henrik Bolding Pedersen
Phone: +45 20 57 88 87