Sheep — Stocks in Iceland
Iceland: Sheep — Stocks was 35,499 LSU in 2023. ▼ Falling
Sheep — Stocks in Iceland, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in LSU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sheep — stocks in Iceland is 35,499 LSU, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sheep — stocks in Iceland peaked at 89,619 LSU in 1978 and was at its lowest, 35,499 LSU, in 2023.
Iceland ranks 109th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Sheep — Stocks in Iceland, year by year
| Year | LSU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 83,384 LSU | — |
| 1962 | 82,977 LSU | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 77,730 LSU | -6.3% |
| 1964 | 73,638 LSU | -5.3% |
| 1965 | 76,197 LSU | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 84,670 LSU | +11.1% |
| 1967 | 84,734 LSU | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 82,907 LSU | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 82,017 LSU | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 78,046 LSU | -4.8% |
| 1971 | 73,554 LSU | -5.8% |
| 1972 | 78,623 LSU | +6.9% |
| 1973 | 82,859 LSU | +5.4% |
| 1974 | 84,580 LSU | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 86,364 LSU | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 86,038 LSU | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 87,085 LSU | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 89,619 LSU | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 89,081 LSU | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 79,676 LSU | -10.6% |
| 1981 | 82,793 LSU | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 74,770 LSU | -9.7% |
| 1983 | 71,194 LSU | -4.8% |
| 1984 | 71,473 LSU | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 70,926 LSU | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 67,552 LSU | -4.8% |
| 1987 | 62,426 LSU | -7.6% |
| 1988 | 58,689 LSU | -6.0% |
| 1989 | 56,092 LSU | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 54,851 LSU | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 51,078 LSU | -6.9% |
| 1992 | 48,731 LSU | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 48,879 LSU | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 49,911 LSU | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 45,834 LSU | -8.2% |
| 1996 | 46,394 LSU | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 47,731 LSU | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 49,000 LSU | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 49,054 LSU | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 46,578 LSU | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 47,354 LSU | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 46,966 LSU | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 46,301 LSU | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 45,540 LSU | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 45,495 LSU | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 45,566 LSU | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 45,481 LSU | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 45,786 LSU | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 46,943 LSU | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 47,984 LSU | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 47,507 LSU | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 47,350 LSU | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 46,381 LSU | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 48,654 LSU | +4.9% |
| 2015 | 48,066 LSU | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 47,314 LSU | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 45,863 LSU | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 43,202 LSU | -5.8% |
| 2019 | 41,595 LSU | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 40,072 LSU | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 38,519 LSU | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 36,529 LSU | -5.2% |
| 2023 | 35,499 LSU | -2.8% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 35,499 LSU is above the median for high income countries, which is 34,340 LSU, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 35,499 LSU is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 63,374 LSU, 56% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80,917 LSU | 73,638 LSU | 84,734 LSU | 9 |
| 1970s | 83,585 LSU | 73,554 LSU | 89,619 LSU | 10 |
| 1980s | 69,559 LSU | 56,092 LSU | 82,793 LSU | 10 |
| 1990s | 49,146 LSU | 45,834 LSU | 54,851 LSU | 10 |
| 2000s | 46,201 LSU | 45,481 LSU | 47,354 LSU | 10 |
| 2010s | 46,392 LSU | 41,595 LSU | 48,654 LSU | 10 |
| 2020s | 37,655 LSU | 35,499 LSU | 40,072 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 sheep — stocks in Iceland?
- Sheep — stocks in Iceland was 35,499 LSU in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest sheep — stocks recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 89,619 LSU in 1978.
- What is the lowest sheep — stocks recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 35,499 LSU in 2023.
- How does Iceland rank for sheep — stocks?
- Iceland ranks 109th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sheep — stocks rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Sheep — 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.