Total income of farm families, 2023
Released: 2026-01-30
The average total income of farm families operating a single farm in Canada edged up 0.9% compared with 2021 to $216,021 in 2023. Average off-farm income increased 2.2% to $116,788, while average net operating income edged down 0.6% to $99,233.
The increase in average off-farm income in 2023 was because of growth in investment income (+27.2%) and pension income (+16.2%), which was partly offset by lower employment income (-3.9%) and total other income (-14.4%).
Off-farm income accounted for 54.1% of the total income of farm families in 2023, up from 53.4% in 2021. In 2023, the average total income of farm families increased 5.6% to $151,458 in the unincorporated sector and decreased 1.8% to $358,850 in the incorporated sector.
Chart 1
Off-farm income composition of farm families in 2023
Farm families operating potato farms have the highest average total income
Farm families operating potato farms recorded the largest increase in average total income, growing by one-quarter (+25.5%) from 2021 to 2023. This was followed by families operating poultry and egg (+8.6%) and oilseed and grain (+4.3%) farms. Potato farm revenue grew because of higher prices in 2023 and the resumption of exports to the United States, following the removal of trade restrictions. The increase in oilseed and grain farm revenue was driven by a return to normal production levels following drought conditions in 2021.
Farm families specializing in hog and pig farming reported the largest decline in total income from 2021 to 2023 (-21.9%), as they struggled with rising feed costs, labour shortages, reduced processing capacity, lower swine prices and international market issues. Average total income also declined for farm families specializing in greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production (-17.2%), fruit and tree nut farming (-12.3%), other crop farming (-3.5%) and other vegetable (except potato) and melon farming (-2.4%).
Farm families specializing in fruit and tree nut farming have the highest average off-farm income
In 2023, farm families specializing in fruit and tree nut farming had the highest average off-farm income, at $141,800 per farm family. This was followed by farm families specializing in potato farming ($134,599), greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production ($133,875), poultry and egg production ($133,212) and other animal production ($132,090).
Chart 2
Average total and off-farm income of farm families, by farm type, 2023
In contrast, the average off-farm income of farm families specializing in dairy cattle and milk production, in hog and pig farming, in beef cattle ranching and farming and in other vegetable (except potato) and melon farming was below the national average of $116,788 in 2023.
In 2023, families operating potato (75.4%), dairy cattle and milk production (66.0%) and oilseed and grain (58.5%) farms derived most of their income from farming activities. Meanwhile, farm families specializing in beef cattle (21.4%), other crops (20.4%), fruit and tree nuts (15.2%) and other animals (6.4%) drew less than one-quarter of their total income from farming activities.
Prairie farm families earn the highest average total income in the country
Farm families in Saskatchewan earned the highest average total income nationally in 2023, at $264,991 per farm family, followed by farm families in Manitoba ($247,707) and Alberta ($242,130).
Chart 3
Average total income and off-farm income of farm families, by province, 2023
Farm families in British Columbia posted the highest average off-farm income nationally in 2023, at $140,801 per farm family. Compared with the other provinces, farm families in British Columbia had higher average employment income and investment income.
Note to readers
Data for this series were published annually for the 2015 to 2021 reference years. Starting with the 2021 reference year, the estimates are released every two years.
The estimates cover farm families involved in a single farm that is either unincorporated with total operating revenue of $10,000 or more or incorporated with total operating revenue of $25,000 or more.
Starting with the 2020 reference year, a farm is defined as an operation that produces at least one agricultural product and will report revenue or expenses for that agricultural production to the Canada Revenue Agency, as opposed to the previous definition based on the intention to sell agricultural commodities. Data users should use caution when comparing data from the previous years.
Note that not all farm family income earned from a farming operation is net operating income. Income reported as wages and salaries may have come from the farm. However, the investment income has been adjusted to exclude the actual number of dividends received by families from taxable Canadian farming corporations.
For statistical purposes, farm families who hold an interest in a partnership that has filed a T5013 Partnership Information Return are included in the incorporated sector, starting with reference year 2017. Prior to 2017, all farm families who were members of a partnership were included in the unincorporated sector.
Farm families may include more than one operator. Within an Agriculture Taxation Data Program framework, an operator is a person who reports revenue on their individual tax form as a result of a financial stake of a farm operation. The financial stake may be direct in the case of an unincorporated farm (generally T1) or indirect through shares for an incorporated farm (generally T2).
In this release, average always refers to average per farm family. Table 32-10-0213-01 also presents averages per farm family reporting.
For more information on farm family income components, see "Description of farm family income components."
For more information on agriculture and food, visit the Agriculture and food statistics portal.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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