According to Eurostat, around 131.5 million pigs were kept in the EU in autumn–winter 2025, which is 0.5% less than the previous year. Trends varied across countries: pig numbers increased in Germany (+0.9%), Denmark (+6.0%), Poland (+1.6%) and Italy (+0.6%), as well as in Portugal and Romania.
At the same time, several countries reported declines. The most significant decrease was recorded in Spain, where pig numbers fell by 2.7% to 33.65 million head, although the country remains the largest pork producer in the EU. In the Netherlands, the pig population dropped by 7.6% to 9.42 million head, largely due to a government buyback program.
Particular attention is being paid to changes in the sow population. After years of decline in many member states, sow numbers have started to stabilize: in 2025, the EU counted 10.27 million sows, which is 0.6% more than the previous year.
The increase was mainly driven by key producers: Spain (+2.6%), Germany (+1.4%) and Denmark (+2.7%). Positive trends were also observed in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Ireland.
Meanwhile, declines continued in France (-2.5%) and the Netherlands (-7.1%).
Analysts note that the stabilization of the sow herd could support pork production in the EU. Slaughter volumes in 2026 are expected to remain at last year’s level or show slight growth.
PigUA.info based on euromeatnews.com