Livestock products

Latest release

Quarterly statistics on livestock slaughtered and meat production

Reference period

March 2026

Released

19/05/2026

Release date and time

19/05/2026 11:30am AEST

Key statistics

In seasonally adjusted terms for the March 2026 quarter:

Red meat production increased 0.5%
Chicken meat production increased 0.9%

Livestock products (seasonally adjusted)

Cattle

Cattle slaughtered in the March 2026 quarter increased 1.6% to 2.4 million.
Beef production in the March 2026 quarter increased 2.3% to 749,010 tonnes.

Cattle slaughtered and beef produced
	Beef (Tonnes '000)	Cattle ('000)
Mar-24	600.9	1,951.3
Jun-24	630.2	2,035.4
Sep-24	659.5	2,112.5
Dec-24	676.8	2,189.2
Mar-25	706.5	2,304.1
Jun-25	707.0	2,282.2
Sep-25	725.3	2,333.3
Dec-25	732.0	2,370.4
Mar-26	749.0	2,408.6

Cattle slaughtered and beef produced

["","Beef","Cattle"]

[["Mar-24","Jun-24","Sep-24","Dec-24","Mar-25","Jun-25","Sep-25","Dec-25","Mar-26"],[[600.9],[630.2],[659.5],[676.8],[706.5],[707],[725.3],[732],[749]],[[1951.3],[2035.4],[2112.5],[2189.2],[2304.1],[2282.2],[2333.3],[2370.4],[2408.6]]]

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Sheep

Sheep slaughtered in the March 2026 quarter decreased 14.4% to 2.0 million.
Mutton production in the March 2026 quarter decreased 17.3% to 50,067 tonnes.

Sheep slaughtered and mutton produced
	Mutton (Tonnes '000)	Sheep ('000)
Mar-24	66.6	2,695.5
Jun-24	77.5	2,996.3
Sep-24	77.8	3,070.1
Dec-24	76.5	3,044.2
Mar-25	72.4	2,906.1
Jun-25	68.0	2,684.3
Sep-25	58.8	2,294.9
Dec-25	60.5	2,308.0
Mar-26	50.1	1,976.4

Sheep slaughtered and mutton produced

["","Mutton","Sheep"]

[["Mar-24","Jun-24","Sep-24","Dec-24","Mar-25","Jun-25","Sep-25","Dec-25","Mar-26"],[[66.6],[77.5],[77.8],[76.5],[72.4],[68],[58.8],[60.5],[50.1]],[[2695.5],[2996.3],[3070.1],[3044.2],[2906.1],[2684.3],[2294.9],[2308],[1976.4]]]

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Lambs

Lambs slaughtered in the March 2026 quarter decreased 3.2% to 5.7 million.
Lamb meat production in the March 2026 quarter increased 0.3% to 147,131 tonnes.

Lambs slaughtered and meat produced
	Lamb (meat) (Tonnes '000)	Lambs ('000)
Mar-24	164.3	6,898.7
Jun-24	161.7	6,778.1
Sep-24	153.5	6,477.7
Dec-24	150.8	6,257.2
Mar-25	164.3	6,908.6
Jun-25	154.0	6,370.1
Sep-25	131.4	5,371.1
Dec-25	146.8	5,902.5
Mar-26	147.1	5,714.5

Lambs slaughtered and meat produced

["","Lamb (meat)","Lambs"]

[["Mar-24","Jun-24","Sep-24","Dec-24","Mar-25","Jun-25","Sep-25","Dec-25","Mar-26"],[[164.3],[161.7],[153.5],[150.8],[164.3],[154],[131.4],[146.8],[147.1]],[[6898.7],[6778.1],[6477.7],[6257.2],[6908.6],[6370.1],[5371.1],[5902.5],[5714.5]]]

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Pigs

Pigs slaughtered in the March 2026 quarter increased 0.1% to 1.4 million.
Pig meat production in the March 2026 quarter decreased 1.4% to 116,824 tonnes.

Pig slaughtered and meat produced
	Pig (meat) (Tonnes '000)	Pigs ('000)
Mar-24	116.3	1,435.9
Jun-24	117.9	1,451.6
Sep-24	118.0	1,444.9
Dec-24	118.2	1,439.5
Mar-25	118.4	1,433.3
Jun-25	118.3	1,444.0
Sep-25	119.7	1,445.1
Dec-25	118.5	1,431.6
Mar-26	116.8	1,433.0

Pig slaughtered and meat produced

["","Pig (meat)","Pigs"]

[["Mar-24","Jun-24","Sep-24","Dec-24","Mar-25","Jun-25","Sep-25","Dec-25","Mar-26"],[[116.3],[117.9],[118],[118.2],[118.4],[118.3],[119.7],[118.5],[116.8]],[[1435.9],[1451.6],[1444.9],[1439.5],[1433.3],[1444],[1445.1],[1431.6],[1433]]]

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Chickens

Chickens slaughtered in the March 2026 quarter increased 2.5% to 197.7 million.
Chicken meat production in the March 2026 quarter increased 0.9% to 395,020 tonnes.

Chicken slaughtered and meat produced
	Chicken (meat) (Tonnes '000)	Chickens ('000)
Mar-24	354.5	181,372.9
Jun-24	372.5	186,652.4
Sep-24	372.5	185,763.7
Dec-24	378.3	187,001.1
Mar-25	389.4	189,404.9
Jun-25	394.7	190,197.4
Sep-25	389.7	191,016.3
Dec-25	391.4	192,844.4
Mar-26	395.0	197,659.3

Chicken slaughtered and meat produced

["","Chicken (meat)","Chickens"]

[["Mar-24","Jun-24","Sep-24","Dec-24","Mar-25","Jun-25","Sep-25","Dec-25","Mar-26"],[[354.5],[372.5],[372.5],[378.3],[389.4],[394.7],[389.7],[391.4],[395]],[[181372.9],[186652.4],[185763.7],[187001.1],[189404.9],[190197.4],[191016.3],[192844.4],[197659.3]]]

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Gross value of livestock (original)

The gross value of cattle and calves slaughtered increased 6.3% to $6.0 billion.
The gross value of sheep and lambs slaughtered decreased 1.0% to $1.9 billion.
The gross value of pigs slaughtered decreased 2.6% to $503.4 million.
The gross value of poultry slaughtered decreased 1.0% to $1.0 billion.

Gross value of livestock
	Cattle and calves ($m)	Sheep and lambs ($m)	Pigs ($m)	Poultry ($m)
Mar-24	3,204.3	1,242.1	464.5	1,014.7
Jun-24	3,648.4	1,393.7	497.7	1,042.8
Sep-24	4,258.4	1,341.1	496.2	1,028.6
Dec-24	4,176.5	1,299.0	491.4	1,032.3
Mar-25	4,408.8	1,576.9	489.1	1,041.6
Jun-25	4,857.8	1,732.6	537.2	1,047.8
Sep-25	5,513.8	1,647.3	543.3	1,034.3
Dec-25	5,648.7	1,960.7	517.1	1,039.4
Mar-26	6,003.0	1,940.2	503.4	1,028.9

Gross value of livestock

["","Cattle and calves","Sheep and lambs","Pigs","Poultry"]

[["Mar-24","Jun-24","Sep-24","Dec-24","Mar-25","Jun-25","Sep-25","Dec-25","Mar-26"],[[3204.3],[3648.4],[4258.4],[4176.5],[4408.8],[4857.8],[5513.8],[5648.7],[6003]],[[1242.1],[1393.7],[1341.1],[1299],[1576.9],[1732.6],[1647.3],[1960.7],[1940.2]],[[464.5],[497.7],[496.2],[491.4],[489.1],[537.2],[543.3],[517.1],[503.4]],[[1014.7],[1042.8],[1028.6],[1032.3],[1041.6],[1047.8],[1034.3],[1039.4],[1028.9]]]

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Changes in this and forthcoming issues

Revisions

Data downloads

Time series spreadsheets

Download all (1.34 MB)

Data files

Table 1. Livestock slaughtered - bulls, bullocks and steers: all series ('000)
Download xlsx [82.18 KB]
Table 2. Livestock slaughtered - cows and heifers: all series ('000)
Download xlsx [82.26 KB]
Table 3. Livestock slaughtered - cattle (excluding calves): all series ('000)
Download xlsx [90.98 KB]
Table 4. Livestock slaughtered - calves: all series ('000)
Download xlsx [88 KB]
Table 5. Livestock slaughtered - sheep: all series ('000)
Download xlsx [92.64 KB]
Table 6. Livestock slaughtered - lambs: all series ('000)
Download xlsx [92.07 KB]
Table 7. Livestock slaughtered - pigs: all series ('000)
Download xlsx [89.69 KB]
Table 8. Livestock slaughtered - chickens: all series ('000)
Download xlsx [106.8 KB]
Table 9. Red meat produced - beef: all series (tonnes)
Download xlsx [93.45 KB]
Table 10. Red meat produced - veal: all series (tonnes)
Download xlsx [87.91 KB]
Table 11. Red meat produced - mutton: all series (tonnes)
Download xlsx [91.01 KB]
Table 12. Red meat produced - lamb: all series (tonnes)
Download xlsx [90.56 KB]
Table 13. Red meat produced - pig meat: all series (tonnes)
Download xlsx [90.5 KB]
Table 14. Red meat produced - total red meat: all series (tonnes)
Download xlsx [94.66 KB]
Table 15. Chicken meat produced: all series (tonnes)
Download xlsx [103.32 KB]
Table 17. Annual livestock slaughtered - excluding chickens: original ('000)
Download xlsx [68.58 KB]
Table 18. Annual livestock slaughtered - chickens: original ('000)
Download xlsx [50.22 KB]

Data cubes

Gross value of livestock slaughtered

Data files

Download xlsx [216.6 KB]

Data Explorer datasets

Caution: Data in the Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the time period when using Data Explorer.

Livestock slaughtered – Quarterly statistics on livestock slaughtered.

Meat produced – Quarterly statistics on meat production.

For information Data Explorer and how it works, see the Data Explorer user guide.

Methodology

Scope

Includes:

livestock and poultry slaughtering at registered abattoirs
meat production for human consumption
gross value of livestock slaughtered.

Geography

Data available for:

Australia
States and territories.

Source

Data is sourced from commercial abattoirs and meat processors.

Collection method

A quarterly survey of commercial abattoirs and meat processors.

Concepts, sources and methods

Not applicable for this release.

History of changes

The Wool Purchases, Receivals and Sales Survey and data release (Table 16) was ceased in September 2022.

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APA

Livestock products

APA

Key statistics

Livestock products (seasonally adjusted)

Cattle

Sheep

Lambs

Pigs

Chickens

Gross value of livestock (original)

Changes in this and forthcoming issues

Revisions

Data downloads

Time series spreadsheets

Table 1. Livestock slaughtered - bulls, bullocks and steers: all series ('000)

Table 2. Livestock slaughtered - cows and heifers: all series ('000)

Table 3. Livestock slaughtered - cattle (excluding calves): all series ('000)

Table 4. Livestock slaughtered - calves: all series ('000)

Table 5. Livestock slaughtered - sheep: all series ('000)

Table 6. Livestock slaughtered - lambs: all series ('000)

Table 7. Livestock slaughtered - pigs: all series ('000)

Table 8. Livestock slaughtered - chickens: all series ('000)

Table 9. Red meat produced - beef: all series (tonnes)

Table 10. Red meat produced - veal: all series (tonnes)

Table 11. Red meat produced - mutton: all series (tonnes)

Table 12. Red meat produced - lamb: all series (tonnes)

Table 13. Red meat produced - pig meat: all series (tonnes)

Table 14. Red meat produced - total red meat: all series (tonnes)

Table 15. Chicken meat produced: all series (tonnes)

Table 17. Annual livestock slaughtered - excluding chickens: original ('000)

Table 18. Annual livestock slaughtered - chickens: original ('000)