Rabbits and hares: number of animals by country
The world had 210 million rabbits and hares in 2024, down 32% over ten years. The largest herds were in China (54.7%), North Korea (15.3%), Benin (7.1%), together 77% of the world total.
- World total, 2024
- 210 million head
- 10-year change
- −32%
- Countries reporting
- 50
- Largest herd
- China
World total, 1961–2024 (head)
Map of rabbits and hares numbers by country, 2024
Share of the world total. Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Countries by number of animals, 2024
| # | Country | Head | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China E | 114,905,000 | 54.7% | −48% |
| 2 | North Korea I | 32,171,000 | 15.3% | −1.0% |
| 3 | Benin E | 15,000,000 | 7.14% | — |
| 4 | Nigeria I | 6,136,000 | 2.92% | +40% |
| 5 | Egypt I | 5,045,000 | 2.40% | −7.4% |
| 6 | Ukraine | 3,872,000 | 1.84% | −29% |
| 7 | Russia I | 3,262,000 | 1.55% | +8.0% |
| 8 | Algeria I | 1,628,000 | 0.77% | −1.3% |
| 9 | Sierra Leone I | 1,582,000 | 0.75% | −1.1% |
| 10 | Mexico I | 1,427,000 | 0.68% | +4.1% |
| 11 | Peru I | 1,123,000 | 0.53% | +2.1% |
| 12 | Burundi E | 1,049,000 | 0.50% | +191% |
| 13 | Rwanda E | 839,000 | 0.40% | −30% |
| 14 | Kenya | 780,000 | 0.37% | −11% |
| 15 | Uzbekistan | 696,000 | 0.33% | +257% |
| 16 | Colombia I | 543,000 | 0.26% | +0.6% |
| 17 | Argentina E | 500,000 | 0.24% | −55% |
| 18 | Ecuador I | 467,000 | 0.22% | +1.5% |
| 19 | France | 361,000 | 0.17% | −57% |
| 20 | Gabon I | 347,000 | 0.17% | +2.1% |
| 21 | Moldova | 326,000 | 0.16% | +10% |
| 22 | Indonesia E | 300,000 | 0.14% | — |
| 23 | Bolivia I | 283,000 | 0.13% | +3.3% |
| 24 | Netherlands | 263,000 | 0.13% | −18% |
| 25 | Brazil E | 191,000 | 0.09% | −13% |
| 26 | Belarus | 149,000 | 0.07% | −48% |
| 27 | Madagascar I | 133,000 | 0.06% | +11% |
| 28 | Mozambique E | 128,000 | 0.06% | −25% |
| 29 | Botswana I | 123,000 | 0.06% | +2.5% |
| 30 | South Korea E | 88,000 | 0.04% | −23% |
| 31 | Taiwan I | 87,000 | 0.04% | +45% |
| 32 | Syria | 87,000 | 0.04% | −28% |
| 33 | Kazakhstan | 73,000 | 0.03% | −6.4% |
| 34 | Uruguay E | 67,000 | 0.03% | +12% |
| 35 | Turkey I | 50,000 | 0.02% | 0.0% |
| 36 | Lithuania | 49,000 | 0.02% | −52% |
| 37 | Cameroon I | 48,000 | 0.02% | 0.0% |
| 38 | Tajikistan I | 44,000 | 0.02% | −35% |
| 39 | Armenia | 41,000 | 0.02% | +52% |
| 40 | Venezuela E | 32,000 | 0.02% | −62% |
| 41 | Switzerland | 30,000 | 0.01% | −61% |
| 42 | Puerto Rico I | 25,000 | 0.01% | +19% |
| 43 | Georgia E | 18,000 | 0.01% | −10.0% |
| 44 | Kyrgyzstan | 13,000 | 0.01% | −50% |
| 45 | Latvia | 12,000 | 0.01% | −69% |
| 46 | Jordan E | 11,000 | 0.01% | +10% |
| 47 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6,000 | 0.00% | −45% |
| 48 | Mauritius E | 5,000 | 0.00% | 0.0% |
| 49 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5,000 | 0.00% | 0.0% |
| 50 | Norway | 1,000 | 0.00% | −50% |
E = estimated by FAO, I = imputed by FAO, X = from an external organisation; other figures are official.
How concentrated is the world herd?
The largest herd, in China, accounts for 54.7% of the world total in 2024; the five largest for 82.4% and the ten largest for 88.1%.
| Year | Top 5 share | Top 10 share | Countries with data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 88.3% | 93.2% | 64 |
| 2005 | 89.6% | 93.7% | 65 |
| 2010 | 88.8% | 93.9% | 64 |
| 2015 | 88.0% | 93.5% | 63 |
| 2020 | 82.2% | 87.1% | 52 |
| 2024 | 82.4% | 88.1% | 50 |
By continent, 2024
| Continent | Head | Share of world | Share in 2014 | 10-year change | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 149 million head | 70.7% | 83.1% | −42% | 14 |
| Africa | 32.8 million head | 15.6% | 5.3% | +101% | 14 |
| Europe | 8.3 million head | 4.0% | 9.9% | −73% | 11 |
| South America | 3.2 million head | 1.5% | 1.2% | −16% | 8 |
| North and Central America | 1.5 million head | 0.7% | 0.5% | +4.3% | 3 |
Sums of country figures; the world total also includes countries without a continent assignment, so shares may not add up to 100%.
Fastest growing and declining producers, 2014–2024
Countries with at least 0.5% of world numbers in 2024, change over ten years.
Growing
| Nigeria | 6.1 million head | +40% |
| Russia | 3.3 million head | +8.0% |
| Mexico | 1.4 million head | +4.1% |
| Peru | 1.1 million head | +2.1% |
| North Korea | 32.2 million head | −1.0% |
Declining
| China | 115 million head | −48% |
| Ukraine | 3.9 million head | −29% |
| Egypt | 5.0 million head | −7.4% |
| Algeria | 1.6 million head | −1.3% |
| Sierra Leone | 1.6 million head | −1.1% |
Long-term trend, 1961–2024
- Average growth per year, 1961–2024
- +1.2%
- Average growth per year, last 10 years
- −3.8%
- Record year
- 1990 364 million head
- Largest yearly fall
- 1992 −32%
| Decade | Average per year | vs previous decade |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s (1961–1969) | 109 million head | — |
| 1970s | 161 million head | +48% |
| 1980s | 229 million head | +42% |
| 1990s | 247 million head | +7.8% |
| 2000s | 275 million head | +11% |
| 2010s | 270 million head | −1.9% |
| 2020s (2020–2024) | 199 million head | −26% |
Questions and answers
Which country has the most rabbits and hares?
China had the largest number, 115 million head in 2024, 54.7% of the world total, according to FAOSTAT.
How many rabbits and hares are there in the world?
FAOSTAT counts 210 million head in 2024, −32% compared with 2014.
Which countries have the most rabbits and hares?
In 2024: China (115 million head, 54.7%), North Korea (32.2 million head, 15.3%), Benin (15.0 million head, 7.1%), Nigeria (6.1 million head, 2.9%), Egypt (5.0 million head, 2.4%). Together they account for 82.4% of the world total.
Where does this data come from?
Production and area figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (dataset Crops and livestock products, release of 23 December 2025). Shares, rankings, changes and averages are calculated by Husfarm.
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About the data
- Figures are numbers of live animals as reported to or estimated by FAO for each calendar year; the latest year is 2024.
- Letters next to a country mark figures that are not official national data: E estimated by FAO, I imputed by FAO (filled in by a statistical model), X taken from an external organisation. Treat them as approximate.
- Shares are relative to the FAO world total; ten-year changes compare 2024 with 2014; average growth per year is the compound annual rate between the two years.
- Country series on Husfarm start in 2000; the world series starts in 1961.
Download CSV All countries and years: production and FAO flag.
How to cite: FAO (2025). FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products — Rabbits and hares. Retrieved via Husfarm, https://husfarm.com/production/rabbits-and-hares/. Licence CC BY 4.0.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.