Agriculture in the EU: Statistical information

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Key Statistics

• The number of employed population in the Agriculture and fishing sectors of the EU15 has declined by 18% between 1995 and 2002 to 5,983 thousand.
• 4% of the working population in the EU15 worked on agriculture in 2000. However, in the then, “Candidate Countries”, it was a lot higher, with 13.4% of working population working in agriculture.

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Work and Health in the EU, a statistical portrait (1994 – 2002)

• Agriculture hunting and forestry have the worst fatal accident rate than any other industry. Only construction has a comparable incidence rate of fatal accidents at work. However, there has been a steady decline in fatal accidents in construction, but this is less so for agriculture .
• The standardised incidence rate for agriculture, hunting and forestry of fatal accidents at work in the EU15 (2000) was 12.6 per 100,000 workers.
  
• Agriculture, hunting and forestry has one of the worst incidence rates for non-fatal accidents, with only construction having a higher rate. For female workers in agriculture, the rate is higher than any other industry sector.
  
• The standardised incidence rate for agriculture, hunting and forestry of non-fatal accidents at work in the EU15 (2000) was over 6000 per 100,000 workers. Only construction exceeds this.
  
• 1.2% of workers in agriculture and fishing have a long standing health problem or disability caused by an accident at work
• 3.2% of workers in agriculture and fishing have a long standing health problem or disability caused by a work related diseases

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3rd European Survey on Working conditions 2000 (ESWC)

• Over 40% of workers in agriculture and fishing in the EU15 feel that their health is at risk because of work
• The average time, spent in a single farming job, for workers in Agriculture and fishing is 17 years, the highest of any sector
• 15% of workers in agriculture and fishing handle dangerous substances half the time or more. This is topped only by the construction sector
• Only 30% of workers feel that they are very well informed about risks at work in agriculture and fishing, the least of all sectors
• Nearly 30% of workers in agriculture and fishing are exposed to vibrations at work half the time or more
• Almost 60% of workers in agriculture and fishing are exposed to painful positions at work half the time or more, the highest of any sector
• Nearly 50% of workers in agriculture and fishing carry heavy loads half the time or more
• Over 50% of workers in agriculture and fishing are exposed to repetitive hand movements half the time or more
• 8% of workers in agriculture and fishing consider that their health is being put at risk of allergies because of work
• Over 10% of workers in agriculture and fishing consider that they are being put at risk of skin problems at work
• Over 20% of workers report being exposed to noise at work half of the time or more in agriculture and fishing

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Key agricultural statistics - size of farm (ha) and working population (%)

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