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.
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A technical-economic unit producing agricultural products.
Selected statistics on Agricultural and horticultural economy
Full-time farms
The Farm Account Statistics aim to be representative of all agricultural holdings and of the various types of farming. The statistics include both individually owned holdings and jointly owned holdings, primarily partnerships. The main sources are accounting data supplied by accounting offices affiliated with DLBR P/S and by independent accounting firms. The Farm Structure Survey conducted by Statistics Denmark provides the basis for defining the survey population. In addition, administrative registers maintained by public authorities are used for FSDN purposes.
The sampling plan is optimised according to the Neyman allocation criterion using three target variables. The allocation is based on the observed variation within strata defined by EU farm type and economic size. The three target variables are operating result, debt ratio and sustainability measured by the amount of green subsidies, weighted by 40, 30 and 30 per cent, respectively.
For the national statistics, the sample is stratified into six main groups: conventional full-time farms, conventional part-time farms, organic full-time farms, organic part-time farms, full-time horticultural holdings and part-time horticultural holdings.
Under the EU Regulation, Denmark is required to transmit data for 1,450 holdings to the FSDN. At least 80 per cent of this number must be delivered. For the national statistics, only holdings with at least 10 hectares of cultivated land are eligible for selection.
Price development of agricultural products
The prices of agricultural sales and purchases of goods are mainly collected on a monthly and quarterly 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.
Output and intermediate consumption of the agricultural industry
The majority of sources for the Economic accounts for agriculture come from statistics produced by Statistics Denmark, particularly from the Food Industry Statistics Office. Data from the Public Finances and National Accounts statistics are used to calculate indirect bank costs, direct bank and credit costs, as well as taxes and duties. In addition, data from the Foreign Trade in Goods and Industrial Sales of Goods statistics are used. For further information on data collection, reference is made to the documentation of the respective statistics. Moreover, data for specific items, such as fruit and vegetables, Christmas trees, seeds, straw, and sugar beets, are obtained directly from industry organizations, individual companies, and foundations within the agricultural sector. Administrative register data from the Danish Agency for Green Conversion and the Environment are used for the calculation of other production subsidies and capital transfers regarding payments of agricultural support, which are also presented in the table TILSKUD2.
For the agricultural sector’s expenditures on fertilizers, the annual sold quantities of mineral fertilizers from the Danish Agency for Green Conversion and the Environment are used, which are also presented in the table GOEDSALG. The Agency collects the annual sold quantities of mineral fertilizers registered under the Executive Order on Fertilizers and Soil Improvers etc. (BEK no. 1135 of 09/07/2022). Data are obtained through an annual collection of sales figures, where companies with registered products are asked about the quantities sold. This includes all types of sales: to agriculture, hobby customers, horticulture, roads and parks, etc.
Net profit for agriculture and horticulture
The Farm Account Statistics aim to be representative of all agricultural holdings and of the various types of farming. The statistics include both individually owned holdings and jointly owned holdings, primarily partnerships. The main sources are accounting data supplied by accounting offices affiliated with DLBR P/S and by independent accounting firms. The Farm Structure Survey conducted by Statistics Denmark provides the basis for defining the survey population. In addition, administrative registers maintained by public authorities are used for FSDN purposes.
The sampling plan is optimised according to the Neyman allocation criterion using three target variables. The allocation is based on the observed variation within strata defined by EU farm type and economic size. The three target variables are operating result, debt ratio and sustainability measured by the amount of green subsidies, weighted by 40, 30 and 30 per cent, respectively.
For the national statistics, the sample is stratified into six main groups: conventional full-time farms, conventional part-time farms, organic full-time farms, organic part-time farms, full-time horticultural holdings and part-time horticultural holdings.
Under the EU Regulation, Denmark is required to transmit data for 1,450 holdings to the FSDN. At least 80 per cent of this number must be delivered. For the national statistics, only holdings with at least 10 hectares of cultivated land are eligible for selection.
Debt for agriculture and horticulture
The Farm Account Statistics aim to be representative of all agricultural holdings and of the various types of farming. The statistics include both individually owned holdings and jointly owned holdings, primarily partnerships. The main sources are accounting data supplied by accounting offices affiliated with DLBR P/S and by independent accounting firms. The Farm Structure Survey conducted by Statistics Denmark provides the basis for defining the survey population. In addition, administrative registers maintained by public authorities are used for FSDN purposes.
The sampling plan is optimised according to the Neyman allocation criterion using three target variables. The allocation is based on the observed variation within strata defined by EU farm type and economic size. The three target variables are operating result, debt ratio and sustainability measured by the amount of green subsidies, weighted by 40, 30 and 30 per cent, respectively.
For the national statistics, the sample is stratified into six main groups: conventional full-time farms, conventional part-time farms, organic full-time farms, organic part-time farms, full-time horticultural holdings and part-time horticultural holdings.
Under the EU Regulation, Denmark is required to transmit data for 1,450 holdings to the FSDN. At least 80 per cent of this number must be delivered. For the national statistics, only holdings with at least 10 hectares of cultivated land are eligible for selection.
On the statistics – documentation, sources and method
See the documentation of statistics to learn more:
The purpose of the Farm Account Statistics for Agriculture is to provide information on the accounting results of agricultural holdings and horticultural holdings in Denmark. The statistics are considered an important input for the calculation of the agricultural sector accounts, the national accounts, and the EU Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN). The statistics have been compiled since 1916, but in their current form they are comparable from 2008 onwards.
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.
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.
The Economic accounts for agriculture is a macroeconomic accounting system that illustrates the overall economy of the agricultural sector by providing accounts of production, intermediate consumption, gross investment, and other flows. As a satellite account under the European system of national accounts, this statistic represents the agricultural sector’s contribution to the National Accounts. In 2024, the statistic Gross factor income of agriculture was replaced by the Economic accounts for agriculture, which is regulated by an EU regulation. Accounts for Gross factor income of agriculture are available back to 1935, while the Economic accounts for agriculture in its current form are comparable from 1990 onwards.
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 StatbankDK archive a time series for 2008-2021 can be found.
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.
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 purpose with the statistics on the 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?
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