Shifts in livestock supply volumes

Livestock supply across the EU is set to shift noticeably in the second half of 2025. While cattle numbers are expected to rise slightly, the number of pigs, sheep and goats is projected to decline. This is likely to affect the availability of raw materials in the meat supply chain.

Slight increase in cattle numbers

The number of cattle produced in the EU is expected to rise by 0.5% compared to the same period in 2024, reaching 12.0 million head. In contrast, sheep supply is projected to fall by 9.3% to 14.2 million head, while goat numbers are forecast to decrease by 6.9% to 2.2 million head.

France remains in the lead, despite decline

France is expected to remain the EU’s largest cattle producer, accounting for 22% of total output, despite a projected decrease of 1.6% to 2.6 million head. Production levels in other major countries show mixed trends: Germany (+1.0% to 1.9 million), Ireland (+7.5% to 1.1 million) and Spain (-1.1% to 1.0 million).

Pig supply remains under pressure

Production forecasts for pigs are issued quarterly. For the fourth quarter of 2025, a 1.3% decrease is expected, bringing the total to 58.0 million head. Spain will remain the largest producer with 12.8 million pigs, despite a drop of 2.6%. Production is also set to decline in Denmark (-3.2%) and France (-1.0%), while slight increases are expected in Germany (+0.6%) and the Netherlands (+0.1%).

Spain is projected to remain the leading sheep-producing country, despite a 14.6% drop. Greece continues to be the EU’s largest goat producer with 1.0 million head, followed by Spain with 0.8 million—an increase of around 12%.

Ec.europa.eu