A new ADR Wales Data Insight presents data on the structure of farming households in Wales and compares them to other non-farming rural households.
The work was carried out by the AD|ARC (Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection) team, an ADR UK-funded, four nations project.
The AD|ARC team linked de-identified information about individuals receiving farm subsidy payments with socio-economic information about their households and compared characteristics with those of a control group of non-farming rural households.
The research findings suggest that compared with non-farming rural households, farm households were, on average:
- just under 25% larger
- less likely to contain a single occupant…
- …but when they did contain a single occupant, were more likely to consist of a single male
- more often multi-generational
- more often living as a married couple or in a civil partnership than co-habiting.
Speaking of their findings, the research team said: “A better understanding of household structures and characteristics can help inform decision-makers when farm households are disadvantaged in comparison with other groups in society and interventions are under consideration.”
The AD|ARC project aims to integrate the human dimension with data on farming activities to better understand the demographic, health, education, and economic characteristics of farm households associated with different types and sizes of farm businesses. AD|ARC aims to provide the insights needed for decision makers to improve future policies and enhance the wellbeing of farmers and their households.
Read the full Data Insight