Farming and Mental Health: The Crisis in Our Fields
Farmers are three times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Behind the statistics lies a story of isolation, financial pressure, and a culture that has long told people to just get on with it. Here is what the data says — and where to get help.
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The Crisis in Our Fields
There is a particular kind of loneliness to farming. You can work from first light to last, surrounded by land and livestock, and still feel entirely alone. The nearest neighbour might be miles away. The nearest person who truly understands the pressures — the debt, the weather, the subsidy uncertainty, the weight of a family legacy — might not exist at all.
The numbers reflect this. According to the Office for National Statistics, 62 farmers died by suicide in England and Wales in 2023. The latest figures show that number has risen further, with 47 suicides registered in farming in a single recent period — and experts believe the true figure is higher, because farming deaths are often misclassified.
Farmers are estimated to be three times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. That is not a statistic that should be read quickly and moved on from.
What the Research Tells Us
In 2021, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) conducted the largest survey of farming mental health ever undertaken in the UK — 15,296 people from across England and Wales. The findings were stark.
36% of all respondents were classified as either possibly or probably depressed. For women in farming, that figure rose to 43%. Nearly half — 47% — were experiencing anxiety to some degree, with women again disproportionately affected at 58%.
The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) has found that 95% of young farmers under 40 believe mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today. Yet the stigma around discussing it remains deeply entrenched. Farming culture has long valued stoicism, self-reliance, and getting on with the job. Asking for help can feel like admitting failure — and in a world where your identity, your home, and your livelihood are all the same thing, that fear runs very deep.
The Pressures Are Real
It is important to be clear: the mental health crisis in farming is not a character flaw. It is a rational response to genuinely difficult circumstances.
Farmers face financial pressures that most industries do not. Significant debt is often required just to operate. Income is at the mercy of weather, markets, and government policy — all of which can change overnight. The post-Brexit transition away from the Basic Payment Scheme has added a layer of uncertainty that has hit many farming families hard.
The physical isolation of rural life compounds this. Long hours, often alone, with no natural boundary between work and home. No sick days. No colleagues to notice when something is wrong. And when the farm has been in the family for generations, the pressure to keep it going — to not be the one who loses it — can be crushing.
Women in farming face particular challenges. Research from the University of Exeter and the Farming Community Network highlights that women are often the backbone of farming operations — managing finances, raising children, supporting partners — while their own wellbeing goes unacknowledged. The isolation they experience is often compounded by a lack of recognition for the work they do.
The Culture Is Changing — Slowly
There are signs of progress. RABI, the Farming Community Network, and the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) have all invested significantly in mental health awareness and support. The FCN's volunteer helpline — run by people who understand farming life — received thousands of calls last year. RABI's free, confidential support service covers financial, practical, and emotional needs.
The conversation is becoming more open. Farmers are beginning to talk — at markets, in online forums, through organisations like Young Farmers Clubs. The stigma is not gone, but it is weakening.
What is needed now is for that change to accelerate. For farming employers and contractors to take mental health as seriously as physical safety. For the industry to recognise that a farmer who is struggling is not weak — they are carrying something that would break most people.
You Do Not Have to Carry This Alone
If you are a farmer, a farm worker, or someone who loves one — and something in this article resonates — please reach out.
RABI — Free, confidential support for farming families — 0800 188 4444 | rabi.org.uk
Farming Community Network (FCN) — Volunteer-led helpline run by people who understand farming — 03000 111 999 | fcn.org.uk
Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) — Mental health resources and campaigns for the farming community | yellowwellies.org
Samaritans — Free, 24/7, no judgement — 116 123
Or visit the DriverWell Agriculture Portal [blocked] for free, confidential wellbeing support built around the realities of farming life — available any time, completely anonymous.
Sources: Office for National Statistics suicide data (2023); RABI Big Farming Survey (2021, 15,296 respondents); Farm Safety Foundation / Yellow Wellies Mind Your Head research; University of Exeter / FCN women in farming study (2025). All statistics cited are from published research.