Australian Agriculture: Livestock

The local value of livestock disposals and livestock products increased 16.9% to $36.7 billion in 2024-25. Both dry weather conditions and high international demand have driven a considerable increase in livestock slaughtered.

Key livestock results for 2024-25:

• $17.1 billion for cattle and calves (up 33.7% from 2023-24)
• $6.0 billion for milk (down 4.3%)
• $5.1 billion for sheep and lambs (up 37.7%)
• $4.1 billion for poultry (up 2.2%)
• $2.3 billion for wool (down 17.0%)
• $1.8 billion for pigs (up 10.1%)

There were 29.7 million cattle on holding at 30 June 2025, a decrease of 2.5% from June 2024. 

There were an estimated 27.6 million beef cattle on holding in Australia at 30 June 2025. This is a decrease of 2.6% from 2024, following high slaughter rates driven by increased global demand. Queensland has the largest proportion of beef cattle in Australia, with 13.5 million head, an increase of 0.7% from 2024. The second largest beef cattle region, New South Wales decreased by 7.1% to 5.5 million head.

Beef cattle have been calculated using the same sources and methods as 2023 and 2024. For further information please see the Methodology section.

There were an estimated 2.1 million dairy cattle at 30 June 2025, down 2.3% from June 2024. Victoria has the largest dairy herd with 1.3 million head, down 2.5% from the previous year. 

Dairy cattle have been calculated using the same sources and methods as for 2023 and 2024. For further information please see the Methodology section.

A number of data sources, including ABS, ABARES and Dairy Australia are used to compile the cattle herd population. Revisions have been made to cattle herd at 30 June 2024 resulting from new and updated information received from these sources. 

Data on the latest calving and mating rates are not available in time to be included within the latest cattle population estimates, which need to be predicted on the basis of prevailing regional weather conditions. Updated mating and calving rates for 2023-24 are now available and have been incorporated into the herd model, generating minor revisions to the beef cattle population estimates for 2023-24. These revisions are included in the table below.

This publication marks the third release of agricultural livestock statistics produced using new methods and data sources

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is modernising the way official agricultural statistics are produced to better support Australian agriculture. New data sources will support improved regional detail on an annual basis. This helps to understand impacts from biosecurity and climate risks as well as supply chain and infrastructure requirements and supports decision making by governments, industry and farmers.

These changes were outlined in early 2023 in Modernising ABS Agriculture Statistics which explained why the ABS is modernising its Agriculture Statistics Program and the guiding principles being followed. 

The ABS is continuing work with the Red Meat Statistics Working Group to further refine the estimate of the number of livestock in Australia. We anticipate drawing upon additional data sources and refining livestock compilation methods over the coming years as outlined in the update on achievements and remaining data gaps.

For further information on the methods and data sources used to produce the statistics contained in this publication please see the Methodology section.

This publication, along with Australian Agriculture: Broadacre Crops and Australian Agriculture: Horticulture, have replaced the now discontinued Agricultural Commodities, Australia, and Value of Agriculture Commodities Produced, Australia.

The ABS would like to thank members of industry, government and academia, who collaborated with the ABS and contributed to development of the cattle herd and sheep flock models used to produce livestock on holding estimates without the need to survey farmers.