Japan Agricultural Entities Fall below 1 M. for 1st Time

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s agricultural management entities totaled 828,000 in 2025, falling below 1 million for the first time, agriculture ministry data said Friday. The 2025 Census of Agriculture and Forestry report showed that the total decreased 23.0 pct from the previous 2020 survey. Of the total, the number of individual entities declined 23.9 pct, while that of group entities increased 2.9 pct. Average cultivated land per entity expanded as more entities were converted into corporations, thereby increasing large-scale operations. According to the ministry, the number of individual entities fell to 789,000, lowest since the start of comparable data in 2015. Meanwhile, the number of corporations among group entities climbed 7.9 pct to 33,000 thanks to progress in farmland consolidation and leasing. The proportion of arable land areas of 20 hectares or more exceeded 50 pct for the first time, signaling scale expansion. The number of household members whose primary occupation is self-employed farming declined across all age groups, likely due to an increase in individuals leaving the industry because of retirement and rising materials prices. The share of people aged 65 or older fell for the first time, with the average age dropping 0.2 years from 2020 to 67.6. The census, conducted every five years, covers farmers and foresters nationwide. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]