England abattoir numbers
This data shows the number and size of English red meat abattoirs operating each year.
Red meat abattoirs in England
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All abattoirs | 179 | 165 | 159 |
| Killing cattle | 148 | 140 | 131 |
| Killing sheep | 149 | 135 | 128 |
| Killing pigs | 115 | 103 | 94 |
Cattle abattoirs by size in England, 2020
| Size band (head) | Number of abattoirs | Total throughput (head) | Share of throughput (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1000 | 55 | 17,324 | 1.0% |
| 1,001-5,000 | 32 | 84,868 | 4.8% |
| 5,001-10,000 | 9 | 57,821 | 3.3% |
| 10,001-20,000 | 10 | 144,395 | 8.2% |
| 20,001-30,000 | 5 | 120,716 | 6.9% |
| 30,001-50,000 | 6 | 231,463 | 13.2% |
| >50,000 | 14 | 1,095,464 | 62.5% |
| Total | 131 | 1,752,051 | 100.0% |
Sheep abattoirs by size in England, 2020
| Size band (head) | Number of abattoirs | Total throughput (head) | Share of throughput (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1000 | 25 | 11,644 | 0.1% |
| 1,001-5,000 | 28 | 66,890 | 0.7% |
| 5,001-10,000 | 19 | 138,668 | 1.4% |
| 10,001-20,000 | 11 | 167,418 | 1.7% |
| 20,001-30,000 | 5 | 121,857 | 1.2% |
| 30,001-50,000 | 5 | 191,971 | 2.0% |
| 50,001-100,000 | 11 | 738,932 | 7.6% |
| >100,000 | 24 | 8,313,988 | 85.3% |
| Total | 128 | 9,751,368 | 100.0% |
Additional information
Data based on abattoirs operating during the calendar year.
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