Total agricultural labour input in France
Total agricultural labour input in France stood at 696.3 in 2025, according to Eurostat – crop production in EU standard humidity (apro_cpsh1), French agricultural statistics. It is one of the indicators in the Agriculture: annual production and accounts table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1973 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Agriculture: annual production and accounts table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural labour input2 | 696.3 | 699.78 | 703.85 | 722.41 | 714.52 | 717.81 | 734.92 | 741.08 | 745.66 | 752.91 | |
| Non-salaried labour input | 374.77 | 385.17 | 395.96 | 413.89 | 421.49 | 428.66 | 446.71 | 456.86 | 464.81 | 474.29 | |
| Salaried labour input | 321.53 | 314.61 | 307.89 | 308.52 | 293.03 | 289.15 | 288.2 | 284.22 | 280.85 | 278.62 |
Understanding total agricultural labour input in France
Measuring the volume of human labor devoted to agricultural production, this series aggregates both permanent and seasonal work performed on holdings, standardizing input into comparable units based on full-time equivalents. The metric encompasses all individuals contributing to farm operations, bridging family workers, sole proprietors, and hired hands under a unified denominator. It excludes labor spent on off-farm food processing, forestry, and unrelated rural enterprises operated by agricultural holders.
When reviewing these figures, account for structural shifts toward labor-saving machinery that gradually alter input requirements independently of output volumes. Year-on-year comparisons can be clouded by seasonal weather anomalies that alter temporary harvest labor demands without reflecting long-term workforce trends. Analysts should avoid equating headcount statistics directly with this metric, because part-time and seasonal participation rates distort raw worker counts.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a single annual work unit calculated for part-time farm workers?
- Hours worked by part-time or seasonal staff are converted into fractions of a standard full-time annual working schedule established for agricultural occupations.
- Are contractors hired from external service firms counted within this labor aggregate?
- Independent specialized service providers operating machinery under contract are generally excluded from direct agricultural labor inputs and treated as intermediate consumption.
- Does this series capture unpaid family members who assist during peak harvest periods?
- Yes, unpaid family labor is systematically evaluated and converted into standardized units alongside regular workers.