Indiana recorded 28 farm-related fatalities in 2024, according to Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program. That’s the highest total in five years and nearly double the 15 deaths documented in 2023.
Tractors were the leading cause, involved in 12 deaths. Victims under the age of 18 and over 60 accounted for 67 percent of cases. The average age of victims was 57.6, slightly higher than that of the average Indiana farmer at 55.5.
Purdue has monitored farm-related fatalities in the state for nearly six decades. The earliest report, in 1966, examined 76 deaths from 1963. Over that period, the number of fatalities has generally declined, with an average of 29 deaths per year since 1970. The highest annual total was 54 in 1981.
The summaries are compiled from news reports, voluntary submissions, and other public sources. Purdue researchers stressed the data are not comprehensive but represent the best available assessment. They noted that, unlike most industries regulated by OSHA, farms in Indiana are not required to report fatalities or injuries. Federal and state safety officials have generally taken a hands-off approach to agricultural production sites because of federal funding restrictions.
Despite a growing number of women listed as principal farm operators in Indiana—estimated at more than 5,600—fatality data do not reflect a significant increase in women dying or being injured in farm work. Over the past decade, 95 percent of farm workplace deaths have been male. Of 265 total fatalities recorded in that time, only 18 victims (6.8 percent) were women.
Tractors and other machinery have long been the most common hazards, despite safety advances such as rollover protection systems. Purdue researchers said continued focus on tractor safety and older equipment could help reduce risks.
