Cattle and Buffaloes — Stocks in Iceland
Iceland: Cattle and Buffaloes — Stocks was 70,859 LSU in 2023. ▲ Rising
Cattle and Buffaloes — Stocks in Iceland, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in LSU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cattle and buffaloes — stocks in Iceland is 70,859 LSU, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cattle and buffaloes — stocks in Iceland peaked at 73,246 LSU in 2018 and was at its lowest, 47,047 LSU, in 1969.
Iceland ranks 147th of 190 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cattle and Buffaloes — Stocks in Iceland, year by year
| Year | LSU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 48,039 LSU | — |
| 1962 | 50,170 LSU | +4.4% |
| 1963 | 50,311 LSU | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 51,490 LSU | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 53,776 LSU | +4.4% |
| 1966 | 53,588 LSU | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 49,077 LSU | -8.4% |
| 1968 | 47,060 LSU | -4.1% |
| 1969 | 47,047 LSU | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 48,061 LSU | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 47,965 LSU | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 53,277 LSU | +11.1% |
| 1973 | 58,752 LSU | +10.3% |
| 1974 | 60,604 LSU | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 59,877 LSU | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 55,472 LSU | -7.4% |
| 1977 | 54,705 LSU | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 56,409 LSU | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 56,510 LSU | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 51,455 LSU | -8.9% |
| 1981 | 53,940 LSU | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 54,329 LSU | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 61,686 LSU | +13.5% |
| 1984 | 65,398 LSU | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 65,600 LSU | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 64,245 LSU | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 62,126 LSU | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 63,742 LSU | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 65,510 LSU | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 67,400 LSU | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 69,913 LSU | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 68,431 LSU | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 66,521 LSU | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 64,731 LSU | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 65,879 LSU | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 67,334 LSU | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 67,312 LSU | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 67,950 LSU | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 67,081 LSU | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 64,922 LSU | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 63,151 LSU | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 60,502 LSU | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 59,432 LSU | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 58,175 LSU | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 59,381 LSU | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 61,803 LSU | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 63,594 LSU | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 64,811 LSU | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 66,148 LSU | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 66,403 LSU | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 65,496 LSU | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 64,362 LSU | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 61,213 LSU | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 67,000 LSU | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 70,765 LSU | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 71,931 LSU | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 72,806 LSU | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 73,246 LSU | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 72,785 LSU | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 72,579 LSU | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 72,507 LSU | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 71,375 LSU | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 70,859 LSU | -0.7% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 70,859 LSU is below the median for high income countries, which is 366,675 LSU, 19% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 70,859 LSU is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 804,897 LSU, 9% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 50,062 LSU | 47,047 LSU | 53,776 LSU | 9 |
| 1970s | 55,163 LSU | 47,965 LSU | 60,604 LSU | 10 |
| 1980s | 60,803 LSU | 51,455 LSU | 65,600 LSU | 10 |
| 1990s | 67,255 LSU | 64,731 LSU | 69,913 LSU | 10 |
| 2000s | 62,192 LSU | 58,175 LSU | 66,148 LSU | 10 |
| 2010s | 68,601 LSU | 61,213 LSU | 73,246 LSU | 10 |
| 2020s | 71,830 LSU | 70,859 LSU | 72,579 LSU | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More environment data for Iceland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.587 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8549 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -1.93 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cattle and buffaloes — stocks in Iceland?
- Cattle and buffaloes — stocks in Iceland was 70,859 LSU in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest cattle and buffaloes — stocks recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 73,246 LSU in 2018.
- What is the lowest cattle and buffaloes — stocks recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 47,047 LSU in 1969.
- How does Iceland rank for cattle and buffaloes — stocks?
- Iceland ranks 147th out of 190 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cattle and buffaloes — stocks rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Cattle and Buffaloes — Stocks. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
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.