In comparison with other households, farming households have a reasonably good level of income. In the 1970s, total farming income decreased but the average farm's size increased. At the same time, farming households earned a growing portion of their income outside farming and received higher levels of welfare benefits. As a result, the relative position of farming households in the income distribution has remained stable. In contrast, for most farmers income derived strictly form farming is lower than the average earnings of other self-employed individuals. The gap between the two groups is even larger when the duration of work and the amount of invested capital are taken into account.
