How many cattle are in the world? The global live cattle population amounted to about 1.57 billion heads in 2023, up from approximately 1.51 million in 2021. Cows as livestock The domestication of cattle began as early as 10,000 to 5,000 years ago. From ancient times up to the present, cattle are bred to provide meat and dairy. Cattle are also employed as draft animals to plow the fields or transport heavy objects. Cattle hide is used for the production of leather, and dung for fuel and agricultural fertilizer. In 2022, India was home to the highest number of milk cows in the world. Cattle farming in the United States Cattle meat such as beef and veal is one of the most widely consumed types of meat across the globe, and is particularly popular in the United States. The United States is the top producer of beef and veal of any country worldwide. In 2021, beef production in the United States reached 12.6 million metric tons. Beef production appears to be following a positive trend in the United States. More than 33.07 million cattle were slaughtered both commercially and in farms annually in the United States in 2019, up from 33 million in the previous year.

Ethiopia had the highest number of cattle in Africa as of 2023, nearly ** million heads. United Republic of Tanzania possessed the second-highest bovine animal stock on the continent, with about ** million heads. In 2022, Africa had over *** million heads of cattle, one of the major species raised for livestock farming on the continent.

This dataset as reported to the Rural Payments Agency contains information on cattle population by breed, sex and country on 1 January 2012. This includes cattle born in or imported into Great Britain. Attribution statement:

This dataset as reported to the Rural Payments Agency contains information on cattle population by country on 31 December 2011. Attribution statement:

This dataset as reported to the Rural Payments Agency contains information on cattle population by breed, sex and country on 1 January 2012. This includes cattle born in or imported into Great Britain. Attribution statement: © Rural Payments Agency

In 2023, the number of cattle in India was more than *** million head, which was the highest cattle stock in the Asia-Pacific region. In contrast, Taiwan had approximately *** thousand head of cattle in inventory that year.

In 2025, Brazil was the leading cattle producer in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an estimate of about 47.8 million heads of cattle. Ranking second was Argentina, with about 14.8 million heads of cattle, and it was followed by Mexico, where cattle production reached over 8.7 million heads.

This dataset as reported to the Rural Payments Agency contains a list of Great Britain born and imported female dairy cattle population aged 30 months and over by country, and herd size as at 1 December 2009 Attribution statement:

How many cows are in the world? India is home to the highest number of milk cows of any country, at over ** million heads as of 2024. That year, the European Union had the second most milk cows worldwide, at about ** million heads. Raising milk cows In the United States, the cost of feeding, housing, and caring for a single cow is around ***** U.S. dollars per 24 months. Though this price might seem high, when one considers that the average milk cow in the United States produces around **** thousand pounds of milk per year, the investment might be worth it. Dairy production worldwide Although India is by far the largest producer of milk cows, the 27 member states of the European Union collectively produce nearly twice the amount of cow milk of India. The United States came in second place with just under *** million metric tons of milk, followed by India with about *** million metric tons. The European Union is also the leading producer of cheese worldwide.

China Livestock: Number: Cow: Beef Cattle data was reported at 84,541.000 Unit th in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 80,044.000 Unit th for 2021. China Livestock: Number: Cow: Beef Cattle data is updated yearly, averaging 68,386.000 Unit th from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2022, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 84,541.000 Unit th in 2022 and a record low of 52,533.000 Unit th in 2008. China Livestock: Number: Cow: Beef Cattle data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Agriculture Sector – Table CN.RID: Number of Livestock: Large Animals: Cow .

******* was the EU country with the largest herd of dairy cows in 2022. Dairy cows in the country numbered approximately *** million. ****** had the second largest number of dairy cows with *** million animals in 2022. Dairy products A range of products contain milk or are produced from milk, however liquid milk remains the dairy product with the largest production volume in the EU with an estimated **** million metric tons of milk being produced in 2019. The output volume of cheese during the same year was estimated to be *** million tons closely followed by fermented milk products with *** million tons. UK milk market Production in the United Kingdom has been growing and most recently it amounted to ***** billion liters. In 2018 milk sold in in Great Britain for an average of ** pence per liter in retail. Meanwhile, milk alternatives such as soymilk have been increasing in popularity and the amount of soymilk sold has been increasing for the past ten years in GB. In 2018, about ** million liters were sold.

Livestock: Number: Beef Cattle: Tibet data was reported at 5,555.000 Unit th in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,447.000 Unit th for 2021. Livestock: Number: Beef Cattle: Tibet data is updated yearly, averaging 4,713.000 Unit th from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2022, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,555.000 Unit th in 2022 and a record low of 4,513.000 Unit th in 2012. Livestock: Number: Beef Cattle: Tibet data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Agriculture Sector – Table CN.RID: Number of Livestock: Large Animals: Cow .

India's cattle inventory amounted to about *** million in 2023. In comparison, the global cattle population stood at over ***********, India had the highest cattle population followed by Brazil, China and the United States that year. Where are cattle bred in India? As one of the leading dairy producers and consumers worldwide, cattle in the south Asian country were bred mainly in the rural areas. However, its population was spread unevenly across the vast land. Uttar Pradesh ranked first in terms of milk production, followed by Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh in 2023. Contextualizing the holiness of the Indian cow Considered a sacred animal by Hindus in India, the cow is associated with several gods and goddesses. This deep religious and cultural significance has led to communal tensions. In 2014, the government established the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) to conserve and develop indigenous breeds of cows and buffaloes. While the general goal was well-received, it aligns with the underlying Hindu nationalist narrative of the current government.

The cattle population in Russia has continuously declined since 2003, when it was measured at nearly **** million heads. In 2023, the number of cattle livestock in the country reached around **** million heads.

In 2021, the number of cattle in Morocco reached a total of 3.18 million heads, a increase of approximately 10,000 heads compared to the previous year. From 2010 onwards, the cattle population in the country generally increased, peaking at 3.44 million heads in 2018.

The burden of animal disease is widespread globally and is especially severe for developing countries dependent on livestock production. Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa and the second-largest human population on the continent. Ethiopia is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa; however, much of the population still lives in extreme poverty, and most households depend on agriculture. Animal disease negatively affects domestic livestock production and limits growth potential across the domestic agricultural supply chain. This research investigates the economic effects of livestock disease burden in Ethiopia by employing a computable general equilibrium model in tandem with animal health loss estimates from a compartmental livestock population model. Two scenarios for disease burden are simulated to understand the effects of improved animal health on domestic production, prices, trade, gross domestic product (GDP), and economic welfare in Ethiopia. Results show that improved animal health may increase Ethiopian GDP by up to 3.6%, which improves national welfare by approximately $US 2.5 billion. This research illustrates the economic effects of improved livestock health, which is critical for Ethiopian households and the national economy.

China Livestock: Number: Cow: Dairy Cow data was reported at 11,601.000 Unit th in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,943.000 Unit th for 2021. China Livestock: Number: Cow: Dairy Cow data is updated yearly, averaging 12,603.000 Unit th from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2022, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15,072.000 Unit th in 2015 and a record low of 10,377.000 Unit th in 2018. China Livestock: Number: Cow: Dairy Cow data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Agriculture Sector – Table CN.RID: Number of Livestock: Large Animals: Cow .

Statistics on ruminant numbers and milk production provide information on the number of ruminant livestock numbers (cattle, sheep and goats) in the Basque Country. They also provide information on the number of holdings with personnel of each of these species and on milk production according to the destination to which it is directed.

Global Self-Employed People in Agricultural Products and Livestock Sector by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

In 2024, the there were around 14.8 million heads of cattle in Argentina, representing an increase of almost one percent compared to the previous year. It was expected that this number would remain the same in 2025. That year, Argentina was the country with the second highest number of cattle in Latin America.