As of June 2024, there were approximately 23.59 million sheep in New Zealand, a slight decrease from the previous year in which there were around 24.36 million sheep in the country. The number of sheep in the country has declined over the past decade.  Sheep farming New Zealand was once known for its disproportionate number of sheep per population. However, since the 1970s, the country’s sheep population has fallen drastically. A major factor that has contributed to this decline is sheep farming land lost to other purposes such as urban sprawl, dairy farming, and horticulture farming. The number of lamb livestock has similarly seen a decline. Consumption and exports Sheep in New Zealand are bred for wool and meat, including mutton and lamb. New Zealand is a significant player in the global wool market. The country exports strong wool to leading textile manufacturers around the world. However, along with sheep numbers, wool production has decreased significantly across New Zealand. In terms of domestic meat consumption, the per capita consumption of sheep meat in New Zealand was forecast to decline into the next decade. When looking at trade, the leading country for sheep meat exports from New Zealand was China, with the United Kingdom and the United States trailing behind.

As of June 2024, there were approximately 21.12 million lamb livestock in New Zealand, an increase from the previous year where there were around 21.04 million lambs marked or tailed in the country. The number of lamb livestock has decreased significantly compared to the beginning of the measured period, 2014.

Focusing on the forecast period: The consumption per capita of sheep meat in New Zealand was forecast to continuously decrease by 0.5 kilograms per capita (-15.72%) within the next years. Therefore, the consumption per capita is estimated to shrink to 2.64 kilograms per capita in 2031.Consumption per capita is the amount of a certain commodity used per person. The figure is derived by dividing total consumption by total population.Find more key insights for the consumption per capita in countries like Australia.

As of June 2024, there were approximately 3.66 million beef cattle in New Zealand, a slight decrease from the previous year, when there were around 3.65 million beef cattle in the country. The number of beef cattle, including bulls, steers, and cows fluctuated during the measured period. Livestock farming industry in New Zealand New Zealand is well known for its superior livestock industry, especially in sheep and beef production. While the large sheep population in New Zealand has historical significance, it has declined significantly during the last ten years. The decline can be attributed to numerous factors, including the conversion of sheep farming land for alternative purposes such as urban expansion, the expansion of dairy farming, and the development of horticulture farming. Apart from sheep, there has also been a decrease in the number of lamb cattle. New Zealand’s dairy farming industry The dairy industry is vital to the country’s broader agricultural sector. New Zealand’s cows produce milk processed into various dairy products, consumed locally and internationally. Thus, the dairy industry accounts for a significant amount of New Zealand's export revenue. The environmental challenges facing dairy producers nationwide have gained increasing attention from the public and environmental organizations. The degradation of water quality and greenhouse gas emissions associated with dairy cattle production are two key issues being discussed.

In 2020, the number of sheep livestock on Maori farms in New Zealand amounted to approximately 819.9 thousand. The figure shows a slight decrease from 843.2 thousand in the previous year.

The Norwegian White sheep (NWS) and New Zealand Terminal Sire Composite (NZC) sheep breeds have been developed based on crossing of multiple breeds, mainly of Northern European origin. A close genetic relationship between these populations could enable across-country genomic evaluations. The main objectives of this study were to assess the genetic connectedness between Norwegian and New Zealand sheep populations and estimate numerous genetic diversity metrics for these two populations. A total of 792 NWS and 16,912 NZC animals were genotyped using a high-density Illumina SNP chip panel (∼606K SNPs). The NZC animals were grouped based on their breed composition as: Finn, Lamb Supreme, Primera, Texel, “Other Dual Purpose”, and “Other Terminal Sire”. The average level of linkage disequilibrium ranged from 0.156 (for Primera) to 0.231 (for Finn). The lowest consistency of gametic phase was estimated between NWS and Finn (0.397), and between NWS and Texel (0.443), respectively. Similar consistency of gametic phase was estimated between NWS and the other NZC populations (∼ 0.52). For all composite sheep populations analyzed in this study, the majority of runs of homozygosity (ROH) segments identified had short length (

In August 2024, the number of lamb livestock slaughtered for export in New Zealand was about 660 thousand. This marked the lowest monthly number of lambs slaughtered for export in the measured period.

Livestock numbers reflect changes in the number of farmed beef and dairy cattle, deer, and sheep across New Zealand. Livestock farming is a widespread land use in this country. It is important to monitor livestock numbers, because concentrated numbers, or large increases in numbers, can affect the indigenous biodiversity, soil health, and water quality.

File contains total livestock numbers by region for each year over the period 1994–2015

This statistic depicts the number of breeding sheep on Maori farms across New Zealand from 2008 to 2019. As of June 2019, there were approximately 602.7 thousand breeding sheep livestock on Maori farms in New Zealand, a decrease from the previous year where there were around 613 thousand breeding sheep livestock.

牲畜数量：山羊：北爱尔兰：怀卡托在06-01-2017达1,478.921千头，相较于06-01-2016的1,666.388千头有所下降。牲畜数量：山羊：北爱尔兰：怀卡托数据按年更新，06-01-1990至06-01-2017期间平均值为2,506.265千头，共24份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于06-01-1990，达4,471.206千头，而历史最低值则出现于06-01-2017，为1,478.921千头。CEIC提供的牲畜数量：山羊：北爱尔兰：怀卡托数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于Statistics New Zealand，数据归类于Global Database的新西兰 – 表 NZ.B001：新西兰统计局：牲畜数量：按地区。

牲畜数量：山羊：北爱尔兰：北部地区在06-01-2017达328.033千头，相较于06-01-2016的366.197千头有所下降。牲畜数量：山羊：北爱尔兰：北部地区数据按年更新，06-01-1990至06-01-2017期间平均值为524.010千头，共24份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于06-01-1990，达1,293.657千头，而历史最低值则出现于06-01-2017，为328.033千头。CEIC提供的牲畜数量：山羊：北爱尔兰：北部地区数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于Statistics New Zealand，数据归类于Global Database的新西兰 – 表 NZ.B001：新西兰统计局：牲畜数量：按地区。

In 2018, 2,850 people who were employed in the sheep, beef cattle and grain farming industry in New Zealand came from Canterbury. Contrastingly, for the same year, 370 people who were employed in the sheep, beef cattle and grain farming industry were from Taranaki in New Zealand.

牲畜数量：山羊：两颗牙以上的繁殖母羊：南部岛屿：尼尔森在06-01-2017达10.000千头，相较于06-01-2016的3.000千头有所增长。牲畜数量：山羊：两颗牙以上的繁殖母羊：南部岛屿：尼尔森数据按年更新，06-01-2002至06-01-2017期间平均值为6.500千头，共14份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于06-01-2005，达13.000千头，而历史最低值则出现于06-01-2016，为3.000千头。CEIC提供的牲畜数量：山羊：两颗牙以上的繁殖母羊：南部岛屿：尼尔森数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于Statistics New Zealand，数据归类于Global Database的新西兰 – 表 NZ.B001：新西兰统计局：牲畜数量：按地区。

In August 2024, the number of sheep livestock slaughtered for export in New Zealand reached about 746 thousand. This marked the lowest number of sheep livestock slaughtered for export in the measured period.

牲畜数量：山羊：两颗牙以上的繁殖母羊：南部岛屿：坎特伯雷在06-01-2017达2,600.000千头，相较于06-01-2016的2,683.000千头有所下降。牲畜数量：山羊：两颗牙以上的繁殖母羊：南部岛屿：坎特伯雷数据按年更新，06-01-2002至06-01-2017期间平均值为3,542.000千头，共16份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于06-01-2003，达5,237.000千头，而历史最低值则出现于06-01-2017，为2,600.000千头。CEIC提供的牲畜数量：山羊：两颗牙以上的繁殖母羊：南部岛屿：坎特伯雷数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于Statistics New Zealand，数据归类于Global Database的新西兰 – 表 NZ.B001：新西兰统计局：牲畜数量：按地区。

New Zealand's average farm sale prices showed significant regional variations in the three months to November 2024. The price of farm property in the country was the highest in the Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman region as of November 2024, with an average sale price of around 148,180 New Zealand dollars per hectare. In comparison, in the Auckland region, the average farm sales price came to just over 61,000 dollars per hectare. A farming nation The agriculture industry is a major economic pillar of the country. The contribution to the nation’s GDP is valued in the billions of New Zealand dollars. Horticulture, livestock, and dairying are all important segments, and the commodities produced within them are exported across the globe. While sheep livestock numbers have declined, they still make up a large share of the country’s livestock population. Horticultural farming While New Zealand exports various horticultural products, including wine grapes, potatoes, and apples, it is perhaps best known for its kiwi fruit. Accordingly, the land area dedicated to kiwi fruit farming has continued to increase over the years. New Zealand’s leading horticultural product export destinations include Asia, Europe, and Australia.

The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry is a major production and export industry in New Zealand. In the year ended March 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) of this industry amounted to over 14.4 billion New Zealand dollars.  New Zealand agriculture  Pastoral farming of sheep and cattle constitutes a large portion of the New Zealand agriculture industry. Despite continuing a declining trend, New Zealand’s sheep population exceeded 23 million in 2024. Sheep meat and wool are both important agricultural commodities produced in the country. These products, along with beef and lamb, are consumed domestically as well as exported overseas. Horticulture production is also an important segment. A wide variety of fresh and processed fruit and vegetables are produced, consumed, and exported from New Zealand. The highest value of horticultural exports from New Zealand went to Asia in 2024. Changing consumption habits The consumption of beef and veal in New Zealand is projected to decrease over the next years. At the same time, global meat consumption is predicted to reduce significantly in the next 15 years, with meat replacements and alternatives filling the market. With the country’s agriculture industry dependent on its meat exports, this presents both challenges and opportunities for New Zealand agriculture.

Focusing on the forecast period: The consumption per capita of sheep meat in Australia was forecast to continuously decrease by 0.4 kilograms per capita (-5.03%) within the next years. Therefore, the consumption per capita is estimated to shrink to 7.52 kilograms per capita in 2031.Consumption per capita is the amount of a certain commodity used per person. The figure is derived by dividing total consumption by total population.Find more key insights for the consumption per capita in countries like New Zealand.