GB auction markets
These figures provide a summary of auction markets in Great Britain, showing numbers for both cattle and sheep.
Auction market centres by region, 2020
| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 72 | 25 | 25 | 122 |
Numbers relate to markets reporting cattle and sheep
Auction market throughputs by region, 2020
| Category | England | Wales | Scotland | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steers | 38,989 | 3,776 | 5,232 | 47,997 |
| Heifers | 69,052 | 3,785 | 10,360 | 83,197 |
| Young bulls | 48,332 | 893 | 1,007 | 50,232 |
| Cull cows | 83,309 | 9,432 | 26,967 | 119,708 |
Number of cattle relates to finished markets only
Auction market throughputs by region, 2020
| Category | England | Wales | Scotland | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New season lambs | 2,394,037 | 891,910 | 599,077 | 3,885,024 |
| Old season lambs | 1,263,945 | 291,375 | 374,116 | 1,929,436 |
| Cull ewes | 1,152,813 | 374,212 | 328,419 | 1,855,444 |
Number of sheep relates to finished markets only
Auction market cattle sales by region, 2020
| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,519 | 442 | 510 | 3,471 |
Number of sales relates to finished cattle markets only
Auction market sheep sales by region, 2020
| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,239 | 1,070 | 645 | 4,954 |
Number of sales relates to finished sheep markets only
GB cattle auction markets by size, 2020
| Size band (head) | Number of auction markets | Total throughput (head) | Share of throughput (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2,500 | 46 | 36,699 | 12.2% |
| 2,501-5,000 | 12 | 36,404 | 12.1% |
| 5,001-7,500 | 9 | 55,586 | 18.5% |
| 7,501-10,000 | 2 | 16,763 | 5.6% |
| 10,001-12,500 | 4 | 43,261 | 14.4% |
| >12,500 | 7 | 112,421 | 37.3% |
| Total | 80 | 301,134 | 100.0% |
Numbers relate to finished cattle markets only
GB sheep auction markets by size, 2020
| Size band (head) | Number of auction markets | Total throughput (head) | Share of throughput (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-20,000 | 16 | 173,072 | 2.3% |
| 20,001-40,000 | 26 | 809,016 | 10.5% |
| 40,001-60,000 | 15 | 769,196 | 10.0% |
| 60,001-80,000 | 8 | 553,958 | 7.2% |
| 80,001-100,000 | 9 | 798,987 | 10.4% |
| >100,000 | 28 | 4,565,675 | 59.5% |
| Total | 102 | 7,669,904 | 100.0% |
Numbers relate to finished sheep markets only
Additional information
Source: AHDB, LAA, IAAS
Data in these tables relates to auction markets in Great Britain. The numbers are for a statistical year and will be updated on an annual basis.
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
While AHDB seeks to ensure that the information contained on this webpage is accurate at the time of publication, no warranty is given in respect of the information and data provided. You are responsible for how you use the information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, AHDB accepts no liability for loss, damage or injury howsoever caused or suffered (including that caused by negligence) directly or indirectly in relation to the information or data provided in this publication.
All intellectual property rights in the information and data on this webpage belong to or are licensed by AHDB. You are authorised to use such information for your internal business purposes only and you must not provide this information to any other third parties, including further publication of the information, or for commercial gain in any way whatsoever without the prior written permission of AHDB for each third party disclosure, publication or commercial arrangement. For more information, please see our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice or contact the Director of Corporate Affairs at info@ahdb.org.uk © Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. All rights reserved.