ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the available information on the total and disposable income of agricultural households in the European Union and other OECD countries and interprets the results within a policy context. The national accounts of all the industrialised market economies that are touched on in this book are based on the System of National Accounts of the United Nations which provides guidelines for all countries throughout the world. All countries in the European Union with the exceptions of Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg now construct distribution of income accounts for their households sectors as a matter of routine. When comparing households in different socio-professional groups according to their levels of disposable income, there appears to be no strong reason why restrictions should be placed a priori on the selection of groups.
