Sheep — Stocks by country
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...
Countries reporting
195
Highest
23.84 million LSU
OECD
Lowest
2.2 LSU
China, Hong Kong SAR
Median
68,041 LSU
Years covered
63
1961–2023
Data points
12,936
What the numbers show
Sheep — Stocks is currently reported for 195 countries. The highest value is 23.84 million LSU in OECD; the lowest is 2.2 LSU in China, Hong Kong SAR.
The median across all reporting countries is 68,041 LSU, and the mean is 1.06 million LSU.
Over the past decade 112 countries rose and 82 fell. The largest increase was in Benin (up 199.2%), and the largest decrease in Timor-Leste (down 70.5%).
Sheep — Stocks: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OECD | 23.84 million LSU | 2023 | down 2.5% | falling |
| 2 | China | 19.30 million LSU | 2023 | up 26.3% | rising |
| 3 | China, mainland | 19.30 million LSU | 2023 | up 26.3% | rising |
| 4 | USSR | 13.29 million LSU | 1991 | down 6.1% | rising |
| 4 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 5.20 million LSU | 2023 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 5 | Australia and New Zealand | 9.65 million LSU | 2023 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 5 | Türkiye | 4.21 million LSU | 2023 | up 53.4% | falling |
| 6 | India | 7.74 million LSU | 2023 | up 12.3% | rising |
| 6 | Syrian Arab Republic | 1.86 million LSU | 2023 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 7 | Australia | 7.21 million LSU | 2023 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 7 | United Republic of Tanzania | 937,341 LSU | 2023 | up 22.4% | rising |
| 8 | Sudan (former) | 5.26 million LSU | 2011 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 8 | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | 747,613 LSU | 2023 | down 19.5% | rising |
| 9 | Nigeria | 5.14 million LSU | 2023 | up 27.5% | volatile |
| 10 | Chad | 4.87 million LSU | 2023 | up 114.4% | volatile |
| 10 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 91,896 LSU | 2023 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 11 | Sudan | 4.00 million LSU | 2023 | up 1.1% | flat |
| 11 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 62,011 LSU | 2023 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 12 | Ethiopia | 3.99 million LSU | 2023 | up 46.1% | rising |
| 12 | Republic of Moldova | 41,690 LSU | 2023 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 13 | Pakistan | 3.23 million LSU | 2023 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 13 | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 16,668 LSU | 2023 | down 0.8% | falling |
| 14 | Algeria | 3.18 million LSU | 2023 | up 19.7% | rising |
| 14 | Melanesia | 4,888 LSU | 2023 | up 73.0% | volatile |
| 15 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 3.18 million LSU | 2023 | down 3.2% | rising |
| 15 | Timor-Leste | 2,030 LSU | 2023 | down 70.5% | flat |
| 16 | Mongolia | 2.94 million LSU | 2023 | up 46.6% | rising |
| 16 | Polynesia | 44.4 LSU | 2023 | up 0.9% | volatile |
| 17 | New Zealand | 2.44 million LSU | 2023 | down 20.9% | falling |
| 18 | Mali | 2.33 million LSU | 2023 | up 78.2% | volatile |
| 19 | Kenya | 2.32 million LSU | 2023 | up 39.8% | volatile |
| 20 | Ethiopia PDR | 2.32 million LSU | 1992 | down 0.6% | falling |
| 21 | Brazil | 2.18 million LSU | 2023 | up 26.0% | rising |
| 22 | South Africa | 2.14 million LSU | 2023 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 23 | Morocco | 2.07 million LSU | 2023 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 24 | Uzbekistan | 2.05 million LSU | 2023 | up 45.0% | rising |
| 25 | Russian Federation | 1.91 million LSU | 2023 | down 13.5% | falling |
| 26 | Saudi Arabia | 1.89 million LSU | 2023 | up 64.8% | volatile |
| 27 | Kazakhstan | 1.70 million LSU | 2023 | up 12.1% | falling |
| 28 | Indonesia | 1.55 million LSU | 2023 | up 4.0% | volatile |
| 29 | South Sudan | 1.45 million LSU | 2023 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 29 | Côte d'Ivoire | 253,149 LSU | 2023 | up 46.7% | rising |
| 30 | Niger | 1.41 million LSU | 2023 | up 31.7% | rising |
| 30 | Caribbean | 208,407 LSU | 2023 | down 18.2% | volatile |
| 31 | Turkmenistan | 1.41 million LSU | 2023 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 31 | Cabo Verde | 1,946 LSU | 2023 | up 67.8% | volatile |
| 32 | Spain | 1.36 million LSU | 2023 | down 15.6% | falling |
| 33 | Argentina | 1.26 million LSU | 2023 | down 13.5% | falling |
| 34 | Afghanistan | 1.22 million LSU | 2023 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 35 | Burkina Faso | 1.14 million LSU | 2023 | up 26.9% | volatile |
| 36 | Mauritania | 1.14 million LSU | 2023 | up 13.0% | rising |
| 37 | Peru | 1.13 million LSU | 2023 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 38 | Yemen | 1.03 million LSU | 2023 | up 8.3% | volatile |
| 39 | Somalia | 1.03 million LSU | 2023 | down 16.0% | rising |
| 40 | Romania | 1.03 million LSU | 2023 | up 16.6% | falling |
| 41 | Mexico | 883,673 LSU | 2023 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 42 | Senegal | 819,630 LSU | 2023 | up 34.8% | volatile |
| 43 | Greece | 789,230 LSU | 2023 | down 10.1% | rising |
| 44 | Libya | 752,842 LSU | 2023 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 45 | Yugoslav SFR | 743,100 LSU | 1991 | up 0.6% | falling |
| 46 | Iraq | 681,505 LSU | 2023 | up 4.6% | falling |
| 47 | Azerbaijan | 664,071 LSU | 2023 | down 16.2% | rising |
| 48 | France | 657,600 LSU | 2023 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 49 | Italy | 649,700 LSU | 2023 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 50 | Tunisia | 623,639 LSU | 2023 | down 9.0% | rising |
| 51 | Ghana | 597,487 LSU | 2023 | up 43.8% | volatile |
| 52 | Uruguay | 592,700 LSU | 2023 | down 27.6% | falling |
| 53 | Kyrgyzstan | 555,321 LSU | 2023 | up 18.6% | flat |
| 54 | Uganda | 499,237 LSU | 2023 | up 136.0% | volatile |
| 55 | Bangladesh | 382,700 LSU | 2023 | up 21.8% | volatile |
| 56 | Tajikistan | 378,351 LSU | 2023 | up 22.1% | rising |
| 57 | Ireland | 374,091 LSU | 2023 | down 25.3% | rising |
| 58 | Guinea | 372,262 LSU | 2023 | up 69.7% | volatile |
| 59 | Cameroon | 357,133 LSU | 2023 | up 21.0% | rising |
| 60 | Jordan | 293,446 LSU | 2023 | up 27.0% | rising |
| 61 | Benin | 257,297 LSU | 2023 | up 199.2% | volatile |
| 62 | Eritrea | 247,539 LSU | 2023 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 63 | Namibia | 226,478 LSU | 2023 | up 3.5% | falling |
| 64 | Portugal | 221,670 LSU | 2023 | up 6.9% | falling |
| 65 | Norway | 219,110 LSU | 2023 | down 3.6% | rising |
| 66 | Togo | 208,201 LSU | 2023 | down 5.4% | rising |
| 67 | United Arab Emirates | 206,367 LSU | 2023 | down 0.9% | volatile |
| 68 | Egypt | 199,154 LSU | 2023 | down 64.2% | rising |
| 69 | Serbia and Montenegro | 183,700 LSU | 2005 | down 31.2% | falling |
| 70 | Colombia | 179,224 LSU | 2023 | up 155.3% | falling |
| 71 | Serbia | 171,681 LSU | 2023 | up 6.2% | rising |
| 72 | Germany | 155,970 LSU | 2023 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 73 | Lesotho | 146,749 LSU | 2023 | up 4.1% | falling |
| 74 | Cuba | 141,481 LSU | 2023 | down 30.5% | volatile |
| 75 | Canada | 127,020 LSU | 2023 | down 5.2% | rising |
| 76 | Albania | 120,621 LSU | 2023 | down 35.0% | rising |
| 77 | Chile | 120,354 LSU | 2023 | down 64.6% | falling |
| 78 | Angola | 116,726 LSU | 2023 | up 9.6% | volatile |
| 79 | Bulgaria | 107,277 LSU | 2023 | down 21.2% | volatile |
| 80 | Sierra Leone | 100,527 LSU | 2023 | up 18.1% | volatile |
| 81 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 100,356 LSU | 2023 | down 1.6% | rising |
| 82 | Madagascar | 95,758 LSU | 2023 | up 14.1% | rising |
| 83 | Hungary | 90,710 LSU | 2023 | down 23.5% | falling |
| 84 | Czechoslovakia | 87,393 LSU | 1992 | down 8.9% | rising |
| 85 | Georgia | 86,380 LSU | 2023 | up 25.5% | rising |
| 86 | Qatar | 81,060 LSU | 2023 | up 102.8% | volatile |
| 87 | Palestine | 80,127 LSU | 2023 | up 9.6% | rising |
| 88 | Kuwait | 73,458 LSU | 2023 | up 42.2% | volatile |
| 89 | Burundi | 68,737 LSU | 2023 | up 133.3% | rising |
| 90 | Armenia | 68,041 LSU | 2023 | up 5.4% | flat |
| 91 | Oman | 66,828 LSU | 2023 | up 21.9% | volatile |
| 92 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 66,500 LSU | 2023 | down 35.7% | rising |
| 93 | Guatemala | 61,661 LSU | 2023 | up 6.0% | falling |
| 94 | North Macedonia | 58,707 LSU | 2023 | down 19.8% | volatile |
| 95 | Ecuador | 56,195 LSU | 2023 | down 24.0% | falling |
| 96 | Croatia | 55,200 LSU | 2023 | down 10.9% | rising |
| 97 | Myanmar | 54,000 LSU | 2023 | down 46.9% | volatile |
| 98 | Ukraine | 51,860 LSU | 2023 | down 51.7% | volatile |
| 99 | Zimbabwe | 51,276 LSU | 2023 | up 60.2% | falling |
| 100 | Nepal | 50,185 LSU | 2023 | down 38.0% | rising |
| 101 | Israel | 50,000 LSU | 2023 | down 7.4% | rising |
| 102 | Guinea-Bissau | 48,390 LSU | 2023 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 103 | Djibouti | 47,026 LSU | 2023 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 104 | Central African Republic | 44,183 LSU | 2023 | up 10.5% | volatile |
| 105 | Lebanon | 43,421 LSU | 2023 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 106 | Austria | 39,187 LSU | 2023 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 107 | Malawi | 36,631 LSU | 2023 | up 43.1% | volatile |
| 108 | Switzerland | 36,238 LSU | 2023 | down 11.5% | rising |
| 109 | Iceland | 35,499 LSU | 2023 | down 23.5% | falling |
| 110 | Cyprus | 34,340 LSU | 2022 | down 1.0% | falling |
| 111 | Sweden | 33,855 LSU | 2023 | down 41.3% | rising |
| 112 | Paraguay | 32,710 LSU | 2023 | down 27.1% | flat |
| 113 | Rwanda | 30,800 LSU | 2023 | down 61.4% | volatile |
| 114 | Haiti | 30,072 LSU | 2023 | up 94.6% | rising |
| 115 | Slovakia | 28,985 LSU | 2023 | down 29.2% | falling |
| 116 | Liberia | 28,772 LSU | 2023 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 117 | Poland | 27,049 LSU | 2023 | up 8.4% | volatile |
| 118 | Dominican Republic | 25,648 LSU | 2023 | up 3.4% | volatile |
| 119 | Zambia | 24,308 LSU | 2023 | up 1.3% | volatile |
| 120 | Botswana | 23,969 LSU | 2023 | down 12.6% | rising |
| 121 | Mozambique | 22,976 LSU | 2023 | down 7.0% | rising |
| 122 | Gabon | 22,894 LSU | 2023 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 123 | Czechia | 17,916 LSU | 2023 | down 18.8% | rising |
| 124 | Gambia | 17,063 LSU | 2023 | up 55.1% | rising |
| 125 | Montenegro | 16,796 LSU | 2023 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 126 | Belgium-Luxembourg | 15,800 LSU | 1999 | down 7.1% | rising |
| 127 | Denmark | 15,257 LSU | 2023 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 128 | Malaysia | 14,103 LSU | 2023 | down 0.6% | volatile |
| 129 | Guyana | 13,208 LSU | 2023 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 130 | Lithuania | 12,788 LSU | 2023 | up 54.5% | volatile |
| 131 | Congo | 12,476 LSU | 2023 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 132 | Finland | 12,210 LSU | 2023 | down 9.9% | falling |
| 133 | Slovenia | 11,632 LSU | 2023 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 134 | Belgium | 11,012 LSU | 2022 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 135 | Faroe Islands | 7,864 LSU | 2023 | up 12.3% | rising |
| 136 | Latvia | 7,830 LSU | 2023 | down 6.3% | rising |
| 137 | Belarus | 7,570 LSU | 2023 | up 21.1% | volatile |
| 138 | Bahrain | 6,077 LSU | 2023 | up 51.9% | volatile |
| 139 | Estonia | 5,510 LSU | 2023 | down 28.3% | rising |
| 140 | Equatorial Guinea | 4,169 LSU | 2023 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 141 | Thailand | 3,844 LSU | 2023 | down 8.6% | volatile |
| 142 | Fiji | 3,807 LSU | 2023 | up 104.7% | volatile |
| 143 | Philippines | 3,000 LSU | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | Comoros | 2,576 LSU | 2023 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 145 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1,735 LSU | 2023 | down 17.8% | volatile |
| 146 | Honduras | 1,695 LSU | 2023 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 147 | Eswatini | 1,666 LSU | 2023 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 148 | Puerto Rico | 1,655 LSU | 2023 | up 44.8% | rising |
| 149 | Belize | 1,612 LSU | 2023 | up 22.1% | volatile |
| 150 | Japan | 1,495 LSU | 2023 | up 15.0% | volatile |
| 151 | Martinique | 1,440 LSU | 2006 | down 65.7% | falling |
| 152 | Malta | 1,399 LSU | 2023 | up 28.0% | rising |
| 153 | Barbados | 1,334 LSU | 2023 | up 1.1% | volatile |
| 154 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1,317 LSU | 2023 | up 112.5% | falling |
| 155 | Sri Lanka | 1,288 LSU | 2023 | up 35.9% | volatile |
| 156 | Grenada | 1,000 LSU | 2023 | down 24.2% | rising |
| 157 | Bhutan | 941.1 LSU | 2023 | down 5.1% | volatile |
| 158 | Luxembourg | 900 LSU | 2022 | up 9.6% | flat |
| 159 | Saint Lucia | 882.8 LSU | 2023 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 160 | Antigua and Barbuda | 850.8 LSU | 2023 | down 39.2% | rising |
| 161 | Dominica | 842.6 LSU | 2023 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 162 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 797.3 LSU | 2023 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 163 | Papua New Guinea | 752.3 LSU | 2023 | up 3.1% | volatile |
| 164 | Nicaragua | 693.3 LSU | 2023 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 165 | Bahamas | 660.3 LSU | 2023 | up 0.0% | volatile |
| 166 | Suriname | 628 LSU | 2023 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 167 | El Salvador | 554.5 LSU | 2023 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 168 | Brunei Darussalam | 447 LSU | 2023 | up 11.8% | volatile |
| 169 | Mauritius | 395 LSU | 2023 | up 57.4% | falling |
| 170 | Sao Tome and Principe | 341 LSU | 2023 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 171 | Costa Rica | 288.5 LSU | 2023 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 172 | Guadeloupe | 225 LSU | 2006 | down 30.8% | falling |
| 173 | New Caledonia | 202.1 LSU | 2023 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 174 | French Guiana | 141.2 LSU | 2006 | down 49.6% | rising |
| 175 | Republic of Korea | 133.8 LSU | 2023 | down 46.9% | volatile |
| 176 | Jamaica | 130.8 LSU | 2023 | down 2.3% | volatile |
| 177 | Réunion | 102.4 LSU | 2006 | down 40.8% | falling |
| 178 | French Polynesia | 44.4 LSU | 2023 | up 0.9% | volatile |
| 179 | China, Taiwan Province of | 17.2 LSU | 2023 | down 21.8% | volatile |
| 180 | China, Hong Kong SAR | 2.2 LSU | 2023 | up 10.0% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- World 132.64 million LSU
- Asia 59.21 million LSU
- Africa 43.62 million LSU
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 28.41 million LSU
- Net Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) 41.99 million LSU
- Middle Africa 5.52 million LSU
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 35.39 million LSU
- Sub-Saharan Africa 32.79 million LSU
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 28.05 million LSU
- Eastern Asia 22.26 million LSU
- Southern Asia 17.84 million LSU
- Western Africa 13.87 million LSU
- Small island developing States (SIDS) 284,464 LSU
- Europe 11.73 million LSU
- Western Asia 11.39 million LSU
- Eastern Africa 10.86 million LSU
- Northern Africa 10.82 million LSU
- Oceania 9.65 million LSU
- Americas 8.43 million LSU
- Latin America and the Caribbean 7.53 million LSU
- South America 6.37 million LSU
- Central Asia 6.10 million LSU
- European Union (27) 5.77 million LSU
- Northern Europe 3.90 million LSU
- Southern Europe 3.56 million LSU
- Eastern Europe 3.31 million LSU
- Southern Africa 2.54 million LSU
- South-Eastern Asia 1.63 million LSU
- Western Europe 955,494 LSU
- Central America 950,177 LSU
- Northern America 896,520 LSU
- United States of America 769,500 LSU
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.