From one in four to one in 25: Ireland’s shrinking farming workforce

There are 108,450 working in 'agriculture, forestry, and fishing' in 2024, according to the Central Statistics Office's Labour Force Survey.

The Farm Structure Survey differs from the Labour Force Survey because it includes all people working on 133,174 farms, including those for whom it is not their main occupation. Picture: iStock

The farmers, foresters, and fishers responsible for Ireland's primary production are now only one in 25 of the working population, and about one in 50 of the total population.

They are the 108,450 working in "agriculture, forestry, and fishing" in 2024, according to the Central Statistics Office's Labour Force Survey.