EU livestock numbers continued to shrink in 2025
In 2025, the EU had 131.5 million pigs, 71.6 million bovine animals, 55.3 million sheep and 10.2 million goats. All livestock populations were lower than the previous year; the pig population was down by 0.5%, bovines by 0.4%, sheep by 2.2% and goats by 2.5%.
These declines are part of a longer-term trend in the EU. Compared with 2015, pig numbers were 8.9% lower in 2025, bovine animals 9.7% lower, sheep 12.2% lower and goats 17.5% lower.
This information comes from data on the EU’s livestock population, published by Eurostat today.
Source datasets: apro_mt_lspig, apro_mt_lscatl, apro_mt_lssheep and apro_mt_lsgoat
For more information
- Thematic section on agriculture
- Database on agriculture
- Agriculture facts
- Key figures on the European food chain
- Podcast on European farms
Methodological note
The EU aggregates for sheep/goats are derived from the data available for those EU countries with significant sheep/goat populations. These aggregates include estimates for missing countries that are based on the values transmitted in previous years.
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