The EU has a significant livestock population: by the end of 2024, there were 132 million pigs, 72 million cattle, and 67 million sheep and goats. However, the majority of livestock is raised in only a few countries, according to the latest Eurostat data.
In 2024, Spain accounted for approximately a quarter of the pig populations - 26.2% and sheep - 23.8% in the EU. Greece had a similar share of the goat population in the EU - 24.6%, and France had a slightly smaller share - 22.9% of the cattle population.
Several EU countries are relatively specialized in their livestock farming. Ireland accounted for 8.8% of the EU's cattle population in 2024 - slightly exceeding the shares of Spain and Italy, while Denmark accounted for 8.8% of the EU's pig population.
Over the past two decades, the number of livestock in the EU has declined significantly. Between 2004 and 2024, the steepest percentage drop was recorded in the number of sheep - about 23% and goats - about 22%, followed by pigs with about 15%.