UK farming statistics 2024/25

Frequently asked questions

How many farms are there in the UK?

There were 209,000 farm holdings in the UK at the 2024 (June survey), according to DEFRA. Together they work about 17.0 million ha of utilised agricultural area — roughly 69% of the UK land area.

Which type of farming is most profitable in the UK?

By average Farm Business Income in England for 2024/25, specialist poultry farms recorded the highest at £235,900, while grazing livestock (less favoured area) farms recorded the lowest at £40,300. Farm Business Income is the return to all unpaid labour and own capital before any private drawings.

What is Farm Business Income?

Farm Business Income (FBI) is DEFRA’s headline farm-profit measure. It represents the return to all unpaid labour (farmer, spouse and family) and to all the capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings. It is published per farm type for England each accounting year.

How much UK land is used for agriculture?

Around 17.0 million ha of UK land is utilised agricultural area, of which roughly 6.2 million ha is croppable and about 3.0 million ha grows cereals.

Where does this UK farming data come from?

Every figure is an exact published DEFRA national-statistics value: "Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2024", "Farm Business Income by farm type in England 2024/25", and the DEFRA farming key-statistics evidence pack. All are Crown copyright under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Verified 2026-06-25.