Beginning with 1950 the decennial FAO Programme for the Census of Agriculture (WCA) has been helping countries to carry out their national agricultural census at least once every decade using standard international concepts, definitions and methodology.

The latest World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (WCA 2010), presented in the publication "A System of Integrated Agricultural Censuses and Surveys, Volume 1, World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010”, (SDS No. 11) provides countries with a flexible approach to the collection of structural agricultural data on a variety of subjects. The publication is available on this site by clicking on the different Chapters in the Contents. The French and Spanish versions of the publication will be added to this site in early 2006.

The supplementary publication "Conducting of Agricultural Censuses and Surveys" , (SDS No. 6), addresses specifically HOW censuses should be conducted. The publication is available on this site by clicking on the different Chapters in the Contents.

Results from the previous three rounds of censuses are available on-line.

The data for the World Census of Agriculture 2000 are available for a large number of countries. These can be accessed by clicking on Main Results by Country. Information for the remaining countries will be uploaded when it is made available to FAO.

The publication "1990 Results of National Censuses of Agriculture" , (SDS No. 9), provides primary results of the national agricultural censuses taken in the period 1986-95 for some 80 countries. This publication also provides International Comparison Tables on the main structural characteristics of the agricultural sector, such as the number and area of holdings, land tenure, land use, etc.. The summary of different Chapters can be obtained by clicking the respective titles in the Contents. Data can be viewed by clicking on Main Results by Country and selecting the year in bold of the desired country. Results for ten additional countries, as well as updated data for more recent agricultural censuses in six countries and international comparisons tables, are presented in the "Supplement to the Report on the 1990 World Census of Agriculture", (SDS No. 9a).

For any further information please refer to:

Mr Hiek Som,
Chief, Surveys and Statistical Development Service
Statistics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100, Rome, Italy
Fax: +39 06 57055615
E mail: Hiek.Som@fao.org

See information on how to order these publications.