In ten years, the EU lost 8% of cows, 16% of goats and sheep

Omissions

• The 16% decline figure refers specifically to goats only, not to goats and sheep combined. Sheep declined by 9.4% over the same period.
• The cattle decline is more precisely 8.7% (bovine animals) rather than 8%.
• The data period is 2014-2024, covering exactly ten years as claimed.
• Source publication date (2025) is after the session date (April 2026), but the data reference period (2024) is before the session date, making it valid for the MEP to cite.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat Statistics Explained - Agricultural production: livestock and meatBy the end of 2024: 72 million bovine animals, 57 million sheep, 10 million goats. Compared with 2014: pigs 8.1% lower, bovine animals 8.7% lower, sheep 9.4% lower, goats 16.3% lower.
• PrimaryEurostat Official Facebook PageCompared with 2014: pigs 8.1% lower, bovine animals 8.7% lower, sheep 9.4% lower, goats 16.3% lower.
• SecondaryPigua News - EU livestock numbers continue decade-long declineCattle numbers down by 8.7%, sheep herds decreased by 9.4%, goat population fallen by 16.3% over the decade.
• SecondaryMeat The Facts - EU livestock populations continue to decrease according to EurostatPig numbers declined by 8.1%, cattle by 8.7%, sheep by 9.4%, and goats by 16.3%.