How does Europe rank for cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area?

Europe ranks 18th out of 31 groups with data for 2023.

Is cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area rising or falling in Europe?

Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.

Where does this Europe data come from?

The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe

Name: Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe
Creator: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)

Europe: Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area was 0.19 LSU/ha in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)

0.19 LSU/ha

Change on year

down 5.0%

Rank

18th

of 31 groups

All-time high

0.3 LSU/ha

in 1992

All-time low

0.18 LSU/ha

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2023

Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe, 1961–2023

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in LSU/ha.

Analysis

In 2023, cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe stood at 0.19 LSU/ha.

That represents a change of down 5.0% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe peaked at 0.3 LSU/ha in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.18 LSU/ha, in 1961.

That places Europe 18th out of 31 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe, year by year

Annual values for Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe, 1961 to 2023.
Year	LSU/ha	Change
1961	0.18 LSU/ha	—
1962	0.19 LSU/ha	+5.6%
1963	0.19 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1964	0.19 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1965	0.19 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1966	0.2 LSU/ha	+5.3%
1967	0.2 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1968	0.21 LSU/ha	+5.0%
1969	0.2 LSU/ha	-4.8%
1970	0.2 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1971	0.21 LSU/ha	+5.0%
1972	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1973	0.22 LSU/ha	+4.8%
1974	0.22 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1975	0.23 LSU/ha	+4.5%
1976	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1977	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1978	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1979	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1980	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1981	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1982	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1983	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1984	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1985	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1986	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1987	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1988	0.22 LSU/ha	-4.3%
1989	0.23 LSU/ha	+4.5%
1990	0.22 LSU/ha	-4.3%
1991	0.22 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1992	0.3 LSU/ha	+36.4%
1993	0.29 LSU/ha	-3.3%
1994	0.28 LSU/ha	-3.4%
1995	0.27 LSU/ha	-3.6%
1996	0.27 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1997	0.25 LSU/ha	-7.4%
1998	0.24 LSU/ha	-4.0%
1999	0.24 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2000	0.24 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2001	0.23 LSU/ha	-4.2%
2002	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2003	0.23 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2004	0.22 LSU/ha	-4.3%
2005	0.22 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2006	0.21 LSU/ha	-4.5%
2007	0.22 LSU/ha	+4.8%
2008	0.21 LSU/ha	-4.5%
2009	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2010	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2011	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2012	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2013	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2014	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2015	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2016	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2017	0.21 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2018	0.2 LSU/ha	-4.8%
2019	0.2 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2020	0.2 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2021	0.2 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2022	0.2 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2023	0.19 LSU/ha	-5.0%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	0.1944 LSU/ha	0.18 LSU/ha	0.21 LSU/ha	9
1970s	0.221 LSU/ha	0.2 LSU/ha	0.23 LSU/ha	10
1980s	0.229 LSU/ha	0.22 LSU/ha	0.23 LSU/ha	10
1990s	0.258 LSU/ha	0.22 LSU/ha	0.3 LSU/ha	10
2000s	0.222 LSU/ha	0.21 LSU/ha	0.24 LSU/ha	10
2010s	0.208 LSU/ha	0.2 LSU/ha	0.21 LSU/ha	10
2020s	0.1975 LSU/ha	0.19 LSU/ha	0.2 LSU/ha	4

Countries ranked near Europe

15 New Zealand 0.88 LSU/ha compare
16 India 0.86 LSU/ha compare
17 Norway 0.8 LSU/ha compare
17 Puerto Rico 0.8 LSU/ha compare
18 Cabo Verde 0.19 LSU/ha compare
19 Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.03 LSU/ha compare
19 Egypt 0.79 LSU/ha compare
19 Japan 0.79 LSU/ha compare
21 Nicaragua 0.76 LSU/ha compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More environment data for Europe

Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.75 Percentage change (2025)
Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.33 Percentage change (2025)
Standard Deviation 0.435 °C (2025)
Temperature change 2.71 °C (2025)
Recovered paper — Production 57.94 million t (2024)
Total fibre furnish — Production 101.18 million t (2024)
Land area equipped for irrigation — Area 27,700 1000 ha (2024)
Permanent meadows and pastures — Area 170,878 1000 ha (2024)
Permanent meadows and pastures — Share in Agricultural land 37.54 % (2024)

All data for Europe →

Frequently asked questions

What is cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe?: Cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe was 0.19 LSU/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area recorded in Europe?: The highest recorded value was 0.3 LSU/ha in 1992.
What is the lowest cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area recorded in Europe?: The lowest recorded value was 0.18 LSU/ha in 1961.
How does Europe rank for cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area?: Europe ranks 18th out of 31 groups with data for 2023.
Is cattle and buffaloes — livestock units per agricultural land area rising or falling in Europe?: Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Europe data come from?: The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Europe. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/cattle-and-buffaloes-livestock-units-per-agricultural-land-area/europe/

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About this data

Indicator: Cattle and Buffaloes — Livestock units per agricultural land area
Unit: LSU/ha
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage: 241 places, 13,793 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 12 August 2026

The Livestock Patterns domain of FAOSTAT contains data on livestock numbers, shares of major livestock species and densities of livestock units in the agricultural land area. Values are calculated using Livestock Units (LSU), which facilitate aggregating information for different livestock types. Data are available by country, with global coverage, for the period 1961 to the most recent year available with annual updates. This methodology applies the LSU coefficients reported in the "Guidelines for the preparation of livestock sector reviews" (FAO, 2011). From this publication, LSU coefficients are computed by livestock type and by country. The reference unit used for the calculation of livestock units (=1 LSU) is the grazing equivalent of one adult dairy cow producing 3000 kg of milk annually, fed without additional concentrated foodstuffs. FAOSTAT agri-environmental indicators on livestock patterns closely follow the structure of the indicators in EUROSTAT.