EU livestock output set to fall across most sectors in 2026
Sheep, goats face steepest declines, while pig numbers buck the trend
9 April 2026
1 minute read
By: Eurostat forecasts a broad decline in EU livestock production in 2026, with sheep and goat numbers set to fall most sharply, though pig production is expected to swim against the tide, according to Eurostat.
Bovine production in the second half of 2026 is forecast to drop 4.2% year on year to 11.4 million head. France, the EU's largest bovine producer, is expected to account for 23.1% of that total, with output falling only marginally (-0.4% to 2.63 million head). Germany also faces a modest decline (-0.6% to 1.7 million head), while Ireland is set for a steeper drop of 5.2% to 0.9 million head. Spain is the only major bovine producer forecast to grow output, up 2.7% to 1.1 million head.
The picture is far bleaker for small ruminants. Sheep production is forecast to fall 17.8% to 12.2 million head, with Spain — the EU's leading producer — facing a particularly severe slump of 40.4%. Goat production is projected to decline 17.1% to 1.9 million head, with Greece, the leading producer, seeing a comparatively modest fall of 2.6%.
Pigs are the exception. EU production is forecast to rise 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2026, led by Spain (+12.0% to 15.8 million head), with Germany, Denmark and France also expected to post gains.
