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England abattoir numbers – cattle and sheep
4 June 2025
This data shows the number and size of English red meat abattoirs operating each year.
Latest update
Red meat abattoirs in England
| Type of abattoir | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All abattoirs | 151 | 147 | 143 |
| Killing cattle | 124 | 121 | 118 |
| Killing sheep | 121 | 116 | 115 |
| Killing pigs | 86 | 84 | 81 |
Cattle abattoirs by size in England, 2024
| Size band (head) | Number of abattoirs | Total throughput (head) | Share of throughput (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1,000 | 50 | 13,820 | 0.8% |
| 1,001-5,000 | 32 | 76,293 | 4.7% |
| 5,001-10,000 | 7 | 50,706 | 3.1% |
| 10,001-20,000 | 3 | 48,035 | 2.9% |
| 20,001-30,000 | 4 | 99,047 | 6.1% |
| 30,001-50,000 | 9 | 344,025 | 21.0% |
| >50,000 | 13 | 1,003,063 | 61.3% |
| Total | 118 | 1,634,989 | 100.0% |
Sheep abattoirs by size in England, 2024
| Size band (head) | Number of abattoirs | Total throughput (head) | Share of throughput (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1,000 | 27 | 12,559 | 0.1% |
| 1,001-5,000 | 23 | 55,753 | 0.6% |
| 5,001-10,000 | 14 | 103,366 | 1.1% |
| 10,001-20,000 | 9 | 120,986 | 1.3% |
| 20,001-30,000 | 5 | 117,266 | 1.2% |
| 30,001-50,000 | 7 | 253,590 | 2.7% |
| 50,000 - 100,000 | 7 | 484,226 | 5.1% |
| > 100,001 | 23 | 8,321,686 | 87.9% |
| Total | 115 | 9,469,432 | 100.0% |
Additional information
Data based on abattoirs operating during the calendar year.
Contact us
This dataset was produced by our Data and Analysis Team. To find out more about the team, please visit the Data and Analysis team page.
If you need any further help, please email Dawn, Lydia or Sue at econ@ahdb.org.uk
Download dataset
England abattoir information 2019
England abattoir information 2020
England abattoir information 2021
England abattoir information 2022
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