UK pig population June 2025

The number of fattening pigs stood at 4.33 million head, up 1% from 2024. This balanced out the losses recorded in the breeding herd, which was down 3% at 407,000 head.

This decline was attributed to further contraction in the female breeding herd, reportedly losing nearly 11,000 pigs versus a year ago.

The annual June survey is carried out by a sample of commercial holdings and then scaled up to a national level. It is subject to a non-response bias.

We have contacted Defra to discuss the data methodology and highlighted the importance of accurate and timely data reporting.

Other data sources available to us imply a smaller change in the number of breeding pigs.

Agrovision KPIs indicate a 1% decline in Q2 2025 vs Q2 2024.

Meanwhile, eMB submission data (a requirement for Red Tractor and QMS-assured farms) for Q2 shows differing trends by country, with both England and Scotland down 2% compared to the -4% and -17%, respectively, recorded by Defra. For Northern Ireland, numbers are down 5% compared with Defra’s growth of 10%.

Increased fattening pig numbers are evidenced by higher throughputs at abattoirs, with year-to-date (Jan–Nov) clean pig kill up 2.4%.

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