The Farm Structure Survey collects data on the structure of agricultural and forestry holdings, including farm type and standard output. The farm type refers to the general economic activities of the holding, specifically its main production focus. The standard output characterizes the economic size. The standard output coefficients of the agricultural and forestry products used in the calculation, are provided by the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research.
According to EU legislation, a census is conducted every ten years, with sample surveys at three- or four-year intervals in between.
For the census, regional data are available – partially at the municipality level. In survey years, the smallest geographical unit available is that of the federal province.