The countryside of Lleida ages. The annual agricultural declaration of 2025 reflects that 43% of the holders of farms in the demarcation are over 65 years old, which is equivalent to 7,279 people. At the opposite extreme, only 10.4% are under 41 years old, with 1,767 young holders.
The evolution of the last decade confirms that trend. The weight of exploitation managers of retirement age has gone from 37% in 2015 to 43% currently, while generational replacement continues to be limited in a good part of the Lleida territory.
More pressure in regions like Pla d"Urgell
The situation is especially acute in Pla d'Urgell, where more than half of the farm managers exceed the retirement age. In that same region, barely 7% of those responsible are under 41 years old.
Facing that scenario, there are regions where the balance is inverted. In Pallars Sobirà, 52 young titleholders are listed compared to 26 at retirement age. In Aran, a more rejuvenated structure is also appreciated, with 42 young titleholders compared to 20 over 65 years old.
Fewer operations of natural persons and greater business size
The structure of the sector has also changed in the last ten years. Farms managed by natural persons have fallen by 26.3%, going from 23,009 to 16,955. At the same time, there are 3,327 farms in the hands of legal entities.
There are also differences in the average size. Farms managed by natural persons have an average area of 38.3 hectares, while those managed by legal persons reach an average of 71.42 hectares.
Female presence remains below one third
In the demarcation of Lleida, 29% of the farms have a woman as responsible, while the rest are headed by a man. In total, there are 4,912 farms led by women.
From that set, 303, 6.1%, have as responsible a person under 41 years old. At the same time, 55% of the exploitations led by women are of retirement age, a fact that also points to the aging of the sector.
By counties, the Pallars Jussà presents almost 35% of women at the head of holdings, while in the Pla d"Urgell that percentage stands at 31.6%. The 2025 data thus draw an increasingly aged Lleida countryside, with fewer holdings in the hands of natural persons and with a generational change still insufficient to correct the trend.