Sheep: number of animals by country
The world had 1.36 billion sheep in 2024, up 17% over ten years. The largest herds were in China (13.4%), India (8.4%), Australia (5.8%), together 28% of the world total.
- World total, 2024
- 1.36 billion head
- 10-year change
- +17%
- Countries reporting
- 177
- Largest herd
- China
World total, 1961–2024 (head)
Map of sheep 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 | 182,939,000 | 13.4% | +20% |
| 2 | India I | 114,623,765 | 8.41% | +64% |
| 3 | Australia E | 79,330,000 | 5.82% | +9.3% |
| 4 | Iran E | 53,820,779 | 3.95% | +71% |
| 5 | Nigeria I | 52,136,324 | 3.83% | +26% |
| 6 | Chad E | 45,168,961 | 3.31% | +84% |
| 7 | Turkey | 44,080,584 | 3.24% | +42% |
| 8 | Ethiopia I | 41,050,910 | 3.01% | +40% |
| 9 | Sudan I | 40,705,303 | 2.99% | +2.2% |
| 10 | Pakistan | 32,731,000 | 2.40% | +12% |
| 11 | Algeria I | 32,354,831 | 2.37% | +16% |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 31,016,701 | 2.28% | −8.1% |
| 13 | Kenya | 26,214,927 | 1.92% | +52% |
| 14 | Mongolia | 24,491,124 | 1.80% | +5.5% |
| 15 | Mali | 24,483,549 | 1.80% | +78% |
| 16 | New Zealand | 23,583,001 | 1.73% | −21% |
| 17 | Saudi Arabia I | 22,428,136 | 1.65% | +148% |
| 18 | Brazil | 21,862,326 | 1.60% | +24% |
| 19 | South Africa | 21,240,448 | 1.56% | −12% |
| 20 | Uzbekistan | 21,028,100 | 1.54% | +44% |
| 21 | Morocco | 19,892,910 | 1.46% | +3.4% |
| 22 | Russia I | 19,111,986 | 1.40% | −14% |
| 23 | Kazakhstan | 18,546,044 | 1.36% | +22% |
| 24 | Syria | 17,928,586 | 1.32% | +0.4% |
| 25 | Niger | 15,669,056 | 1.15% | +41% |
| 26 | Indonesia I | 15,137,290 | 1.11% | −5.9% |
| 27 | South Sudan E | 14,353,872 | 1.05% | −14% |
| 28 | Turkmenistan | 14,270,745 | 1.05% | +1.9% |
| 29 | Spain | 13,476,030 | 0.99% | −13% |
| 30 | Afghanistan E | 12,450,000 | 0.91% | −7.7% |
| 31 | Argentina | 12,440,906 | 0.91% | −14% |
| 32 | Burkina Faso I | 11,543,571 | 0.85% | +24% |
| 33 | Peru | 11,278,083 | 0.83% | −9.0% |
| 34 | Mauritania E | 11,208,099 | 0.82% | +22% |
| 35 | Yemen I | 10,799,861 | 0.79% | +11% |
| 36 | Romania | 10,443,400 | 0.77% | +14% |
| 37 | Tanzania I | 9,505,944 | 0.70% | +9.3% |
| 38 | Mexico I | 8,866,253 | 0.65% | +3.4% |
| 39 | Senegal I | 8,726,635 | 0.64% | +62% |
| 40 | Somalia E | 7,987,932 | 0.59% | −35% |
| 41 | Greece | 7,774,200 | 0.57% | −9.7% |
| 42 | Libya I | 7,491,773 | 0.55% | +4.8% |
| 43 | Bolivia | 7,470,438 | 0.55% | +0.9% |
| 44 | Azerbaijan E | 7,041,901 | 0.52% | −12% |
| 45 | Iraq I | 6,672,540 | 0.49% | +1.9% |
| 46 | France | 6,607,000 | 0.48% | −8.0% |
| 47 | Ghana I | 6,176,664 | 0.45% | +42% |
| 48 | Tunisia I | 6,094,960 | 0.45% | −10% |
| 49 | Uruguay I | 5,654,270 | 0.41% | −24% |
| 50 | Kyrgyzstan | 5,621,278 | 0.41% | +14% |
| 51 | Italy | 5,390,350 | 0.40% | −25% |
| 52 | United States | 5,030,000 | 0.37% | −4.1% |
| 53 | Uganda I | 4,373,676 | 0.32% | +32% |
| 54 | Tajikistan E | 4,283,000 | 0.31% | +33% |
| 55 | Guinea I | 3,995,308 | 0.29% | +91% |
| 56 | Bangladesh | 3,903,000 | 0.29% | +22% |
| 57 | Ireland | 3,591,640 | 0.26% | −30% |
| 58 | Cameroon E | 3,551,761 | 0.26% | −12% |
| 59 | Jordan | 3,076,021 | 0.23% | +15% |
| 60 | Benin | 2,647,421 | 0.19% | +202% |
| 61 | Côte d'Ivoire | 2,636,786 | 0.19% | +52% |
| 62 | Eritrea E | 2,508,985 | 0.18% | +9.6% |
| 63 | Portugal | 2,142,450 | 0.16% | +5.4% |
| 64 | Norway | 2,128,600 | 0.16% | −6.9% |
| 65 | United Arab Emirates I | 2,045,170 | 0.15% | −1.5% |
| 66 | Togo I | 2,029,331 | 0.15% | +62% |
| 67 | Egypt E | 1,950,000 | 0.14% | −65% |
| 68 | Namibia E | 1,921,652 | 0.14% | −6.0% |
| 69 | Lesotho E | 1,913,822 | 0.14% | +42% |
| 70 | Serbia | 1,759,424 | 0.13% | +0.6% |
| 71 | Chile E | 1,750,000 | 0.13% | −39% |
| 72 | Colombia | 1,689,875 | 0.12% | +133% |
| 73 | Germany | 1,510,900 | 0.11% | −5.6% |
| 74 | Cuba I | 1,357,728 | 0.10% | −38% |
| 75 | Albania | 1,176,523 | 0.09% | −38% |
| 76 | Angola I | 1,140,494 | 0.08% | +4.3% |
| 77 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1,098,899 | 0.08% | +7.2% |
| 78 | Bulgaria | 1,016,700 | 0.07% | −26% |
| 79 | Sierra Leone E | 934,780 | 0.07% | +8.1% |
| 80 | Madagascar I | 925,907 | 0.07% | +10% |
| 81 | DR Congo | 920,510 | 0.07% | +1.2% |
| 82 | Hungary | 846,800 | 0.06% | −30% |
| 83 | Canada | 822,000 | 0.06% | −4.5% |
| 84 | Qatar I | 804,695 | 0.06% | +48% |
| 85 | Zimbabwe | 746,277 | 0.05% | +139% |
| 86 | Kuwait E | 737,547 | 0.05% | +17% |
| 87 | Georgia | 712,400 | 0.05% | −11% |
| 88 | Burundi I | 708,094 | 0.05% | +91% |
| 89 | Armenia | 690,565 | 0.05% | +0.5% |
| 90 | Oman | 681,650 | 0.05% | +22% |
| 91 | Nepal | 633,222 | 0.05% | −20% |
| 92 | Venezuela I | 629,786 | 0.05% | +4.8% |
| 93 | Guatemala E | 611,329 | 0.04% | +5.2% |
| 94 | Netherlands | 607,000 | 0.04% | −44% |
| 95 | Croatia | 553,000 | 0.04% | −8.6% |
| 96 | Myanmar E | 540,000 | 0.04% | −54% |
| 97 | North Macedonia | 517,128 | 0.04% | −30% |
| 98 | Ukraine | 488,000 | 0.04% | −43% |
| 99 | Guinea-Bissau I | 472,038 | 0.03% | +0.0% |
| 100 | Djibouti I | 470,538 | 0.03% | +0.1% |
| 101 | Central African Republic E | 452,132 | 0.03% | +13% |
| 102 | Ecuador | 448,382 | 0.03% | −28% |
| 103 | Malawi I | 436,701 | 0.03% | +62% |
| 104 | Lebanon E | 430,853 | 0.03% | −4.3% |
| 105 | Moldova | 423,608 | 0.03% | −42% |
| 106 | Israel | 400,000 | 0.03% | −33% |
| 107 | Austria | 390,940 | 0.03% | +9.4% |
| 108 | Switzerland | 374,239 | 0.03% | −7.1% |
| 109 | Paraguay I | 371,738 | 0.03% | −21% |
| 110 | Cyprus | 364,750 | 0.03% | +13% |
| 111 | Iceland | 345,440 | 0.03% | −29% |
| 112 | Zambia I | 330,243 | 0.02% | +38% |
| 113 | Sweden | 315,790 | 0.02% | −46% |
| 114 | Haiti I | 311,123 | 0.02% | +68% |
| 115 | Rwanda I | 288,916 | 0.02% | −54% |
| 116 | Liberia I | 281,696 | 0.02% | +2.1% |
| 117 | Slovakia | 276,464 | 0.02% | −31% |
| 118 | Poland | 269,538 | 0.02% | +21% |
| 119 | Dominican Republic I | 261,952 | 0.02% | +4.8% |
| 120 | Mozambique | 229,764 | 0.02% | +5.4% |
| 121 | Gabon I | 221,154 | 0.02% | +2.9% |
| 122 | Gambia | 190,879 | 0.01% | +259% |
| 123 | Czechia | 180,368 | 0.01% | −20% |
| 124 | North Korea I | 164,779 | 0.01% | −1.9% |
| 125 | Botswana E | 148,744 | 0.01% | −35% |
| 126 | Denmark | 147,980 | 0.01% | −3.6% |
| 127 | Montenegro | 144,916 | 0.01% | −25% |
| 128 | Malaysia | 139,393 | 0.01% | −2.6% |
| 129 | Guyana I | 132,162 | 0.01% | +0.1% |
| 130 | Congo I | 125,957 | 0.01% | +2.4% |
| 131 | Lithuania | 124,410 | 0.01% | +25% |
| 132 | Slovenia | 116,825 | 0.01% | +7.4% |
| 133 | Finland | 115,432 | 0.01% | −16% |
| 134 | Faroe Islands E | 79,941 | 0.01% | +11% |
| 135 | Belarus | 74,000 | 0.01% | +2.1% |
| 136 | Latvia | 69,640 | 0.01% | −18% |
| 137 | Bahrain | 63,000 | 0.00% | +58% |
| 138 | Estonia | 46,100 | 0.00% | −44% |
| 139 | Equatorial Guinea I | 41,686 | 0.00% | +4.2% |
| 140 | Thailand I | 41,664 | 0.00% | −5.1% |
| 141 | Fiji | 39,547 | 0.00% | +158% |
| 142 | Timor-Leste E | 39,000 | 0.00% | −43% |
| 143 | Philippines I | 30,000 | 0.00% | 0.0% |
| 144 | Comoros E | 26,249 | 0.00% | +9.4% |
| 145 | Cabo Verde | 19,701 | 0.00% | +68% |
| 146 | Eswatini | 18,522 | 0.00% | +8.7% |
| 147 | Sri Lanka | 17,820 | 0.00% | +61% |
| 148 | Honduras E | 16,971 | 0.00% | +6.1% |
| 149 | Belize I | 16,798 | 0.00% | +28% |
| 150 | Trinidad and Tobago | 15,471 | 0.00% | +15% |
| 151 | Japan E | 15,151 | 0.00% | +14% |
| 152 | Malta | 14,560 | 0.00% | +38% |
| 153 | Puerto Rico I | 12,791 | 0.00% | +10% |
| 154 | Barbados I | 12,718 | 0.00% | −2.9% |
| 155 | Saint Kitts and Nevis E | 10,993 | 0.00% | +83% |
| 156 | Grenada I | 9,639 | 0.00% | −29% |
| 157 | Luxembourg | 9,635 | 0.00% | +10% |
| 158 | Bhutan | 9,176 | 0.00% | −15% |
| 159 | Saint Lucia E | 9,146 | 0.00% | −12% |
| 160 | Dominica I | 8,516 | 0.00% | +6.5% |
| 161 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines I | 8,496 | 0.00% | +15% |
| 162 | Papua New Guinea I | 7,309 | 0.00% | +0.1% |
| 163 | Suriname I | 6,626 | 0.00% | +15% |
| 164 | Bahamas I | 6,590 | 0.00% | −0.2% |
| 165 | El Salvador I | 5,577 | 0.00% | +4.2% |
| 166 | Mauritius E | 5,050 | 0.00% | +86% |
| 167 | Antigua and Barbuda I | 4,473 | 0.00% | −63% |
| 168 | Brunei E | 4,356 | 0.00% | +8.9% |
| 169 | Sao Tome and Principe I | 3,386 | 0.00% | +5.8% |
| 170 | Costa Rica I | 2,896 | 0.00% | +1.3% |
| 171 | New Caledonia I | 1,753 | 0.00% | −25% |
| 172 | South Korea E | 1,391 | 0.00% | −37% |
| 173 | Jamaica I | 1,311 | 0.00% | −1.9% |
| 174 | Vanuatu I | 1,260 | 0.00% | — |
| 175 | French Polynesia I | 441 | 0.00% | +0.2% |
| 176 | Taiwan I | 155 | 0.00% | −30% |
| 177 | Hong Kong E | 23 | 0.00% | +15% |
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 13.4% of the world total in 2024; the five largest for 35.4% and the ten largest for 50.4%.
| Year | Top 5 share | Top 10 share | Countries with data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38.1% | 52.1% | 179 |
| 2005 | 37.3% | 50.2% | 179 |
| 2010 | 33.1% | 45.9% | 177 |
| 2015 | 32.9% | 46.7% | 179 |
| 2020 | 32.4% | 47.7% | 178 |
| 2024 | 35.4% | 50.4% | 177 |
By continent, 2024
| Continent | Head | Share of world | Share in 2014 | 10-year change | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 624 million head | 45.8% | 41.8% | +29% | 44 |
| Africa | 439 million head | 32.2% | 31.1% | +22% | 53 |
| Europe | 115 million head | 8.4% | 11.2% | −11% | 39 |
| Oceania | 103 million head | 7.6% | 8.8% | +0.5% | 7 |
| South America | 63.7 million head | 4.7% | 5.6% | −1.6% | 12 |
| North and Central America | 17.4 million head | 1.3% | 1.6% | −3.4% | 22 |
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
| Saudi Arabia | 22.4 million head | +148% |
| Chad | 45.2 million head | +84% |
| Mali | 24.5 million head | +78% |
| Iran | 53.8 million head | +71% |
| India | 115 million head | +64% |
Declining
| Somalia | 8.0 million head | −35% |
| New Zealand | 23.6 million head | −21% |
| Argentina | 12.4 million head | −14% |
| South Sudan | 14.4 million head | −14% |
| Russia | 19.1 million head | −14% |
Long-term trend, 1961–2024
- Average growth per year, 1961–2024
- +0.5%
- Average growth per year, last 10 years
- +1.6%
- Record year
- 2024 1.36 billion head
- Largest yearly fall
- 1993 −3.8%
| Decade | Average per year | vs previous decade |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s (1961–1969) | 1.03 billion head | — |
| 1970s | 1.05 billion head | +1.4% |
| 1980s | 1.13 billion head | +8.4% |
| 1990s | 1.11 billion head | −2.1% |
| 2000s | 1.08 billion head | −2.6% |
| 2010s | 1.17 billion head | +8.8% |
| 2020s (2020–2024) | 1.34 billion head | +14% |
Lamb prices on wholesale markets
- Markets quoting
- 36
- Median price
- 9.60 EUR/kg
- Middle half of quotes
- 8.00–11.23 EUR/kg
- Latest quote
- 6 November 2026
Prices in producing countries
| Rank | Producer | Production, 2024 | Markets | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Turkey | 44.1 million head | 1 | 11.6 EUR/kg |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 31.0 million head | 1 | 6.70 EUR/kg |
| 29 | Spain | 13.5 million head | 2 | 12.1 EUR/kg |
| 41 | Greece | 7.8 million head | 1 | 9.32 EUR/kg |
| 46 | France | 6.6 million head | 2 | 9.75 EUR/kg |
| 51 | Italy | 5.4 million head | 1 | 9.23 EUR/kg |
| 73 | Germany | 1.5 million head | 1 | 10.4 EUR/kg |
| 78 | Bulgaria | 1.0 million head | 1 | 10.6 EUR/kg |
| 82 | Hungary | 846,800 head | 1 | 11.5 EUR/kg |
| 83 | Canada | 822,000 head | 9 | 4.62 EUR/kg |
| 118 | Poland | 269,538 head | 1 | 7.91 EUR/kg |
Median of the midpoints of 79 current quotes converted to EUR per kg at the reference rates used on Husfarm. Markets quote different varieties, grades, origins and trade stages, so prices are not directly comparable between countries.
Questions and answers
Which country has the most sheep?
China had the largest number, 183 million head in 2024, 13.4% of the world total, according to FAOSTAT.
How many sheep are there in the world?
FAOSTAT counts 1.36 billion head in 2024, +17% compared with 2014.
Which countries have the most sheep?
In 2024: China (183 million head, 13.4%), India (115 million head, 8.4%), Australia (79.3 million head, 5.8%), Iran (53.8 million head, 3.9%), Nigeria (52.1 million head, 3.8%). Together they account for 35.4% of the world total.
What is the wholesale price of sheep today?
The median of 79 current quotes on 36 markets tracked by Husfarm is 9.60 EUR/kg (latest quote 6 November 2026). Prices vary widely by variety, grade, origin and market.
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.
Related products
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 — Sheep. Retrieved via Husfarm, https://husfarm.com/production/sheep/. 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.