How does Western Africa rank for sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area?

Western Africa ranks 3rd out of 31 groups with data for 2023.

Is sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area rising or falling in Western Africa?

Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Western Africa data come from?

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

Sheep and Goats — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa

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

Western Africa: Sheep and Goats — Livestock units per agricultural land area was 0.11 LSU/ha in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)

0.11 LSU/ha

Change on year

unchanged

Rank

3rd

of 31 groups

All-time high

0.11 LSU/ha

in 2020

All-time low

0.01 LSU/ha

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2023

Sheep and Goats — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa, 1961–2023

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa is 0.11 LSU/ha, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.

The figure is up 22.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa peaked at 0.11 LSU/ha in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.01 LSU/ha, in 1961.

That places Western Africa 3rd out of 31 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Sheep and Goats — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa, year by year

Annual values for Sheep and Goats — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa, 1961 to 2023.
Year	LSU/ha	Change
1961	0.01 LSU/ha	—
1962	0.02 LSU/ha	+100.0%
1963	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1964	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1965	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1966	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1967	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1968	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1969	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1970	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1971	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1972	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1973	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1974	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1975	0.02 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1976	0.03 LSU/ha	+50.0%
1977	0.03 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1978	0.03 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1979	0.03 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1980	0.03 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1981	0.03 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1982	0.04 LSU/ha	+33.3%
1983	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1984	0.03 LSU/ha	-25.0%
1985	0.03 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1986	0.04 LSU/ha	+33.3%
1987	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1988	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1989	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1990	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1991	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1992	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1993	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1994	0.04 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1995	0.05 LSU/ha	+25.0%
1996	0.05 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1997	0.05 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1998	0.05 LSU/ha	+0.0%
1999	0.06 LSU/ha	+20.0%
2000	0.06 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2001	0.06 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2002	0.06 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2003	0.07 LSU/ha	+16.7%
2004	0.07 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2005	0.07 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2006	0.07 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2007	0.07 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2008	0.07 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2009	0.08 LSU/ha	+14.3%
2010	0.08 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2011	0.08 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2012	0.09 LSU/ha	+12.5%
2013	0.09 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2014	0.09 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2015	0.09 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2016	0.09 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2017	0.1 LSU/ha	+11.1%
2018	0.1 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2019	0.1 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2020	0.11 LSU/ha	+10.0%
2021	0.11 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2022	0.11 LSU/ha	+0.0%
2023	0.11 LSU/ha	+0.0%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	0.0189 LSU/ha	0.01 LSU/ha	0.02 LSU/ha	9
1970s	0.024 LSU/ha	0.02 LSU/ha	0.03 LSU/ha	10
1980s	0.036 LSU/ha	0.03 LSU/ha	0.04 LSU/ha	10
1990s	0.046 LSU/ha	0.04 LSU/ha	0.06 LSU/ha	10
2000s	0.068 LSU/ha	0.06 LSU/ha	0.08 LSU/ha	10
2010s	0.091 LSU/ha	0.08 LSU/ha	0.1 LSU/ha	10
2020s	0.11 LSU/ha	0.11 LSU/ha	0.11 LSU/ha	4

Countries ranked near Western Africa

1 Cabo Verde 0.21 LSU/ha compare
1 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 0.16 LSU/ha compare
1 Qatar 1.6 LSU/ha compare
2 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 0.15 LSU/ha compare
2 Syrian Arab Republic 0.15 LSU/ha compare
2 United Arab Emirates 1.12 LSU/ha compare
3 Bahrain 1.04 LSU/ha compare
4 Kuwait 0.64 LSU/ha compare
4 Türkiye 0.14 LSU/ha compare
5 Cyprus 0.48 LSU/ha compare
5 Micronesia (Federated States of) 0.1 LSU/ha compare
6 Grenada 0.44 LSU/ha compare
6 United Republic of Tanzania 0.09 LSU/ha compare

See the full ranking of 238 places →

More environment data for Western Africa

Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -6.69 Percentage change (2025)
Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.59 Percentage change (2025)
Temperature change 1.37 °C (2025)
Standard Deviation 0.311 °C (2025)
Industrial roundwood — Import value 18,051 1000 USD (2024)
Wood fuel — Production 221.11 million m3 (2024)
Wood fuel, coniferous — Production 0 m3 (2024)
Wood fuel, non-coniferous — Production 221.11 million m3 (2024)
Industrial roundwood — Production 20.68 million m3 (2024)

All data for Western Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa?: Sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa was 0.11 LSU/ha in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area recorded in Western Africa?: The highest recorded value was 0.11 LSU/ha in 2020.
What is the lowest sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area recorded in Western Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 0.01 LSU/ha in 1961.
How does Western Africa rank for sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area?: Western Africa ranks 3rd out of 31 groups with data for 2023.
Is sheep and goats — livestock units per agricultural land area rising or falling in Western Africa?: Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Western Africa data come from?: The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Sheep and Goats — Livestock units per agricultural land area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Sheep and Goats — Livestock units per agricultural land area in Western Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/sheep-and-goats-livestock-units-per-agricultural-land-area/western-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Sheep and Goats — 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: 238 places, 13,567 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.