Farm Census Statistics for Northern Ireland by District Electoral Area

Farm census statistics for Northern Ireland provide counts of farms, livestock, land use, and labor across District Electoral Areas. Data collection began in 1847, with information sourced from direct farm surveys and administrative data from the Animal and Public Health Information System (APHIS). The statistics support a wide variety of stakeholders in understanding the structure and nature of farming in the region.

Use Cases

• Mapping farm density and livestock distribution based on District Electoral Area geography.
• Analyzing farm labor composition using counts of farmers, self-employed workers, spouses, and other workers.
• Comparing land use between Less Favourable Area (LFA) and non-LFA farms using area farmed, crops, and grass data.
• Assessing farm structure by size categories (very small, small, medium, large) across regions.
• Monitoring agricultural trends over time using historical census data available since 1847.

Strengths

• Census coverage includes all farm businesses in Northern Ireland, providing a complete population dataset.
• Data collection combines direct survey responses with administrative data from APHIS, likely enhancing accuracy.
• Historical data is available from 1847, offering a long-term perspective on agricultural change.
• The dataset's presence on multiple government open data platforms indicates its importance and official status.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in any source, limiting technical assessment.
• The most recent update date is listed as 2026-07-08, which is a future date, indicating a potential metadata error or placeholder value.
• Descriptions are repeated verbatim across platforms, suggesting sparse, non-detailed documentation.

Provenance

Source

Government of Northern Ireland, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Collection Method

Data is collected directly from farm businesses through a survey and supplemented with administrative data from the Animal and Public Health Information System (APHIS).

Time Range

1847 to present (historical data available).

Freshness

2026-07-08 13:31:16.734220 (Note: This is a future date, which may be a metadata error.)

Geography

Northern Ireland, disaggregated by District Electoral Area (DEA).