Animal Husbandry Statistics 2025: Global Livestock Numbers, Meat and Dairy Production Trends

Animal Husbandry Statistics 2025: global livestock populations, meat production (370 Mt), dairy output (993 Mt), top countries, and key trends in poultry, beef, pork & sustainability.

Table of Contents

As the world population surpasses 8.2 billion in 2025, animal husbandry remains a cornerstone of global food security, rural livelihoods, and international trade. The latest data from FAO, OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025–2034, USDA, and industry reports reveal a sector experiencing steady growth driven by Asia, while facing sustainability pressures and climate challenges.

This comprehensive guide presents the most up-to-date animal husbandry statistics for 2025, including livestock populations, meat and dairy production forecasts, regional leaders, and emerging trends.

Global Livestock Population of Farm Animals in 2025

Animal Type	Estimated Global Headcount (2025)	Dominant Regions
Chickens (poultry)	~25–26 billion	Brazil, USA, China, India
Pigs	~1.0 billion	China (~400 million), EU, USA
Cattle & Buffalo	~1.55 billion	India, Brazil, China
Sheep & Goats	~2.0 billion	China, Australia, India, Nigeria
Total Ruminants	~3.6 billion	South Asia, Latin America, Africa

Poultry continues to dominate due to short production cycles and high feed-conversion efficiency. India officially holds the world’s largest cattle inventory (~300 million head, including ~193 million cows and ~110 million buffalo).

Meat Production Statistics 2025 (Million Metric Tonnes, Carcass Weight)

Meat Type	2025 Forecast	Change vs 2024	Top 3 Producers
Poultry	140 Mt	+2.5%	USA, Brazil, China
Pork	120 Mt	+1.0%	China, EU-27, USA
Beef & Veal	62 Mt	±0%	Brazil, USA, China
Sheep & Goat	15 Mt	+0.5%	China, Australia, New Zealand
Total Meat	370 Mt	+1.4%

Key insight: Poultry now accounts for ~38% of global meat production and is projected to reach 41% by 2030.

Dairy Production Outlook 2025–2034 predicts an additional 53 Mt of meat by 2034, with 84% of the increase coming from developing countries.

Dairy Production Statistics 2025

Category	2025 Forecast (Million Tonnes)	Change vs 2024	Leading Countries
Total Milk Production	993 million tonnes	+1.0%	India, EU-27, USA, Pakistan
Cow Milk	~800 million tonnes	+1.2%	India, USA, Germany
Buffalo + Goat + Sheep	~193 million tonnes	+0.8%	Pakistan, India, Sudan

India remains the world’s largest milk producer (23–24% of global supply), followed by the European Union and the United States.

Global dairy trade is expected to grow 1.6% in 2025, with strong demand for skim milk powder (SMP) and whole milk powder (WMP) from China and Southeast Asia.

Top 10 Countries by Livestock Value & Output 2025 (Combined Meat + Milk)

China
India
Brazil
United States
European Union (27)
Pakistan
Russia
New Zealand
Australia
Mexico

Emerging Trends in Animal Husbandry 2025

Methane reduction technologies (feed additives such as 3-NOP and seaweed) have been adopted on ~12% of large-scale farms.
Precision livestock farming (PLF) and AI monitoring are growing fastest in the poultry and dairy sectors.
Plant-based and cultivated meat alternatives capture ~3–4% market share in high-income countries, but global animal protein demand still rises 6% per capita by 2034.
90–99% of chickens and pigs are raised in intensive systems; animal welfare regulations are tightening in EU, UK, and parts of North America.

Conclusion

Animal husbandry in 2025 is characterized by resilient growth (+1–2% annually), regional shifts toward Asia and Latin America, and increasing focus on sustainability. While total meat production reaches record levels, the sector must balance rising demand with environmental and ethical challenges.

For the latest updates, bookmark FAO FAOSTAT, OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service reports.