Livestock on agricultural holdings: reference date 1 April and 1 December

Livestock on agricultural holdings: reference date 1 April and 1 December

Farm animals Periods Livestock (x 1000)
Other cattle (total) 2025 April* 47
Other cattle (total) 2025 December* 41
Other sheep 7 months to 1 year 2025 April* 84
Other sheep 7 months to 1 year 2025 December* 167
Other sheep older than 1 year 2025 April* 352
Other sheep older than 1 year 2025 December* 316
Other goats 7 months to 1 year 2025 April* 1
Other goats 7 months to 1 year 2025 December* 2
Other goats 1 year or older 2025 April* 10
Other goats 1 year or older 2025 December* 10
Piglets < 20 kg, still with the sow 2025 April* 1,778
Piglets < 20 kg, still with the sow 2025 December* 1,552
Other breading pigs 2025 April* 37
Other breading pigs 2025 December* 41
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains data on the number of cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks for slaughter and pigs on Dutch agricultural holdings. The number of animals is determined on April 1st and December1st .
The number of animals can differ from those in the tables of the agricultural census (see ‘links to relevant tables and relevant articles).
In the agricultural census the number of veal calves, fattening pigs, chicken and turkey are, from 2018 onwards, adjusted in the case of temporary breaks in the production cycle (e.g. sanitary cleaning).
The agricultural census is a structural survey, in which adjustment for temporary breaks in the production cycle is a.o. relevant for the calculation of the economic size of the holding, and its farm type.
In the livestock surveys the number of animals on the reference day is relevant, therefore no adjustment for temporary breaks in the production cycle are made.

Data available from: 1 April 2018.

Status of the figures:
The 2025 figures are provisional; the other figures are final.

Changes as of February 16, 2026:
The poultry figures for December 2024 have been corrected.
The provisional figures for April 2025 have been adjusted.
The provisional figures for December 2025 have been added.

When will new figures be available?
The provisional figures for April are published in September and will be adjusted in October and February of the following year. The figures for April will become final in May of the following year.
The provisional figures for December are published in February of the following year and will be adjusted in May and September. The figures for December will become final in February of the year following publication.

Description topics

Livestock
Total livestock includes the following livestock categories observed in the agricultural census: - cattle; - sheep and goats; - fattening pigs and breeding pigs (including piglets); - poultry (excluding other poultry: geese, pheasants, ostriches, guinea fowls and such).