Economic Research Report No. (ERR-189) 78 pp

July 2015

Agricultural Productivity Growth in the United States: Measurement, Trends, and Drivers

Since 1948, U.S. agricultural output has more than doubled, with an average growth rate of 1.49 percent per year between 1948 and 2011. This study uses comprehensive productivity accounts developed by ERS to examine changes and trends in U.S. agricultural output, inputs, and productivity over the last six decades and the drivers behind productivity changes.

Keywords: U.S. agriculture, total factor productivity, TFP, labor productivity, land productivity, productivity slowdown, public R&D, private R&D, extension, infrastructure, public research.

In this publication...