EU Pig Populations – 2010
The latest update for the EU pig population from Eurostat reveals an estimated fall of 925,000 animals or 0.6 per cent from the previous year to bring the EU total to just under 149.5 million pigs in 2010. Jackie Linden, senior editor, highlights the important trends for ThePigSite.
29 July 2011
4 minute read
By: In its latest update, Eurostat reports that there were just short of 149.5 million pigs in the European Union in 2010. Comparisons with previous years need to be viewed with caution as the figures for Greece and Slovenia are still provisional and Ireland has reported no data, describing this information as 'confidential'. Figures quoted below include the provisional figures for the two countries named and exclude those for Ireland.
The latest total of 149.5 million for the EU-26 (excluding Ireland) represents a fall of 925,000 animals or 0.6 per cent compared to the equivalent figure for the previous year. The table below shows the counts for 2009 and 2010, as well as the change and percentage change between those years for each country and the EU-27.
Germany remains the country with the largest pig population at just over 26.9 million, an increase of almost 60,000 pigs or 0.2 per cent from 2009.
Remaining in second place in the EU rankings is Spain and there too, the pig population is higher – by 1.4 per cent from the previous year – at 25.7 million.
The latest figures reveal that Poland has overtaken France for third position in the EU pig population rankings after counting 3.7 per cent more pigs in 2010 at almost 14.8 million.
France registered a fall in the pig count by 489,000 or 3.4 per cent for 2010 to reach a total of almost 14.1 million pigs.
After reporting an increase in the pig population for 2009, fifth-placed Denmark had a total of almost 12.3 million pigs in 2010, which is 580,000 fewer or 4.5 per cent below the previous year.
Other countries reporting significant increases in their pig populations in absolute terms were Italy (+164,000), the Netherlands (+98,000), Greece (+14,000) and Latvia (+13,200).
Significant declines in pig population between 2009 and 2010 were recorded in Romania (-435,000), Portugal (-180,000), Sweden (-96,00), Hungary (-79,000), Bulgaria (-65,800), Slovakia (-53,600) and Belgium (-51,600).
| Numbers of pigs in the EU - 2009 and 2010 ('000; as of 22 July 2011) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 2010 | Difference | % change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EU-27 * | 152,010.9 | 149,483.7 p | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | 26,841.0 | 26,900.8 | +59.8 | +0.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain | 25,342.6 | 25,704.0 | +361.4 | +1.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Poland | 14,252.5 | 14,775.7 | +523.2 | +3.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| France | 14,552.0 | 14,063.0 | -489.0 | -3.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denmark | 12,873.0 | 12,293.0 | -580.0 | -4.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 12,108.0 | 12,206.0 | +98.0 | +0.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | 9,157.1 | 9,321.1 | +164.0 | +1.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium | 6,227.9 | 6,176.3 | -51.6 | -0.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Romania | 5,793.4 | 5,358.8 | -436.6 | -7.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK | 4,423.0 | 4,385.0 | -38.0 | -0.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hungary | 3,247.0 | 3,168.0 | -79.0 | -2.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Austria | 3,173.0 | 3,134.2 | -2.8 | -0.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal | 2,342.9 | 2,144.7 | -180.2 | -7.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Czech Republic | 1,913.7 | 1,846.0 | -67.7 | -3.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden | 1,615.8 | 1,520.1 | -95.7 | -5.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland | 1,602.1 | c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finland | 1,353.3 | 1,339.9 | -13.4 | -1.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greece | 1,073.0 p | 1,087.0 p | +14.0 | +1.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lithuania | 928.2 | 929.4 | +1.2 | +0.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slovakia | 740.9 | 687.3 | -53.6 | -7.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bulgaria | 729.8 | 664.0 | -65.8 | -9.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cyprus | 463.3 | 463.7 | +0.4 | +0.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slovenia | 415.2 | 395.6 p | -19.6 | -4.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Latvia | 376.5 | 389.7 | +13.2 | +3.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Estonia | 365.1 | 371.7 | +6.6 | +1.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Luxembourg | 88.6 | 89.4 | +0.8 | +0.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta | 65.9 | 69.3 | +3.4 | +5.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *2009 total includes Ireland; 2010 figure excludes Ireland p=provisional; c=confidential Data from Eurostat |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Further Reading
 |
- | You can view our report on the Eurostat data for pig meat production in the EU-27 in 2010 by clicking here. |
July 2011
