The pig population in the EU decreases as the growth of breeding females is weak.

The data on the pig population in the European Union during the autumn-winter season of 2025 shows a slight decline of 0.5% compared to the same period a year earlier to 131.5 million, according to the European statistical agency Eurostat. At the same time, the number of female pigs for breeding (sow pigs) has increased by 0.6% compared to the same period in 2024 to 10.27 million, after many member states reported a steady decline in recent years. Among the countries with large pig populations, the differences in development are significant. In Germany, the number of pigs increased by 0.9% to 21.49 million, while Denmark reported a significant growth of 6% to 12.27 million. The pig population in Poland increased by 1.6% to 9.23 million, while in Italy the increase was more modest – by 0.6% to 7.87 million. More significant growth of 2.6% was recorded in Portugal and 2.4% in Romania. In Bulgaria, the increase was nearly 2.5% to 718 thousand. In contrast, in Spain, the number of ...