Dutch farmers getting younger; One in ten now under 40

An increasing share of farmers in the Netherlands is under the age of 40, Statistics Netherlands has reported based on preliminary figures. The total number of agricultural and horticultural businesses has been declining for decades, and many have no successor.

One in ten farm owners and managers in agriculture is under the age of 40 this year, amounting to nearly 5,000 farms with a young farmer at the helm. Ten years ago, that figure was 8 percent. This means the share of young farmers has risen slightly, according to the statistics office.

The share of young farmers is highest in the horticultural sector at 13 percent, followed by so-called confined livestock farms, such as pig and poultry operations, at 12 percent.

Between 2015 and 2025, the share of farmers aged 67 or older has grown more sharply than the share of young farmers. That share grew from 17 percent ten years ago to 21 percent today. According to Statistics Netherlands, arable farming is the oldest sector, with nearly one in three farmers aged 67 or older.

In recent years, Dutch agricultural and horticultural businesses have also grown in size. Large farms with relatively high yields are more likely to have a young owner or manager, according to Statistics Netherlands, and the share of older farmers in these businesses is smaller.