All major livestock categories in the EU recorded further declines in 2024. Goat numbers dropped most significantly, continuing a steady downward trend since 2014.

In 2024, livestock numbers across the European Union continued their downward trajectory, reinforcing a longer-term pattern of decline. According to data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, the Union recorded 132 million pigs, 72 million bovine animals, 57 million sheep and just 10 million goats. Compared with 2023, the number of bovine animals dropped by 2.8%, sheep by 1.7%, goats by 1.6%, and pigs by 0.5%.

The decline is more striking when compared with 2014. Over the past decade, goat numbers have decreased by 16.3%, the sharpest fall among the four livestock groups. Sheep numbers declined by 9.4%, bovine animals by 8.7%, and pigs by 8.1%.

These figures, published today, reflect growing pressures on the livestock sector, including shifting consumption patterns, tightening environmental regulations, and economic uncertainty affecting farming sustainability. The steep reduction in goat and sheep numbers may also signal structural shifts in Southern and Eastern European livestock production.

Eurostat noted that the 2024 figures for sheep and goats are estimates, while the pig and cattle data include a time series break, suggesting methodological changes in data collection.