Statistics NZ has insights into trends in farmers’ employment, wellbeing, and income. Increasingly, farming is dominated by old men with more than half over 55 years with modest incomes

Farmers across New Zealand will soon participate in the 2026 Agricultural Production Survey. This article uses statistics drawn from several Stats NZ datasets to provide insights into trends in farmers’ employment, wellbeing, income, and other measures.

At a glance:

• 1.8 percent of employed people were farmers as their main job in the March 2026 quarter
• the number of farmers aged 65 and over increased 66 percent between 2013 and 2023
• three-quarters (76 percent) of farmers were satisfied or very satisfied with their job in 2023
• average annual personal disposable income for farmers was $67,214 in the year ended June 2025.

“Farming is a vital part of New Zealand’s culture and economy, with dairy, meat, and fruit exports accounting for over half the value of all goods exported in 2025,” agricultural statistics spokesperson Tehseen Islam said.

“Looking at data for the farmers and farm managers occupation group allows us to go beyond statistics for agricultural production and gain insight into what life is like for New Zealand farmers.”

Labour market statistics: March 2026 quarter reported that 1.8 percent of employed New Zealanders were farmers or farm managers as their main occupation.

Of the 51,900 farmers in New Zealand:

• 53 percent were livestock or aquaculture farmers
• 10 percent were crop farmers
• 37 percent were mixed-crop and livestock farmers.

Farming is an ageing occupation

Data from the 2023 Census showed that an increasing number of farmers are continuing to work past the age of 65.

“The number of farmers aged 65 years and over has increased since the 2013 Census,” Islam said.

“In 2023, for the first time, there were more farmers over the age of 65 than there were in any younger 10-year age group.”

Across the total employed population, the number of people aged 65 years and over has also increased. For all occupations, the number of employed adults in this age group increased 54 percent between 2013 and 2023.

In 2023, the median age of farmers was 49.8 years, compared with 41.9 years for all employed people. Median age varied by type of famer, with dairy cattle farmers (41.0 years) tending to be much younger than sheep farmers (55.8 years) or beef cattle farmers (62.2 years).

Three-quarters of farmers were satisfied or very satisfied with their job

Wellbeing statistics: 2023 (updated), which presents data from the 2023 General Social Survey (GSS), showed that 76 percent of farmers were satisfied or very satisfied with their job. This compares with 74 percent for all employed people.

The GSS also showed that 58 percent of farmers were satisfied or very satisfied with their work/life balance. This compares with 69 percent of all employed people.

“Farmers also reported similar levels of social cohesion to all employed people in 2023,” Islam said.

The GSS showed that the proportion of farmers who reported having about the right amount of contact with family and friends who do not live in the same household was also similar to all employed people.

• 72 percent of farmers reported having about the right amount of contact with family, compared with 74 percent of all employed people.
• 73 percent of farmers reported having about the right amount of contact with friends, compared with 71 percent of all employed people.

Farmers’ average annual disposable income similar to all employed people

Household income and housing-cost statistics: Year ended June 2025 showed that farmers’ average annual personal disposable income was $67,214.

Average annual personal disposable income for all employed people with a main job was $68,165 for the same period.

Income figures do not reflect assets such as real estate and investments, or liabilities such as mortgages and student loans.

Agricultural production statistics give more insight into farming trends

Agricultural production statistics: Year to June 2025 provides important insight into farming and forestry in New Zealand, helping track industry trends and support decision-making.

At 30 June 2025, compared with 30 June 2002, there were:

• 5.7 million dairy cattle, up from 5.2 million
• 3.8 million beef cattle, down from 4.5 million
• 23.3 million sheep, down from 40 million
• 712,000 deer, down from 1.6 million.