Animals slaughtered for meat in Ireland
Ireland: Animals slaughtered for meat was 1.91 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
1.91 million
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
35th
of 198 countries
All-time high
2.13 million
in 1999
All-time low
488,500
in 1964
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Animals slaughtered for meat in Ireland, 1961–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, animals slaughtered for meat in Ireland stood at 1.91 million.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, animals slaughtered for meat in Ireland peaked at 2.13 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 488,500, in 1964.
Ireland ranks 35th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Animals slaughtered for meat in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 640,100 | — |
| 1962 | 585,600 | -8.5% |
| 1963 | 598,900 | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 488,500 | -18.4% |
| 1965 | 490,700 | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 617,700 | +25.9% |
| 1967 | 952,000 | +54.1% |
| 1968 | 816,000 | -14.3% |
| 1969 | 831,700 | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 903,900 | +8.7% |
| 1971 | 914,700 | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 782,900 | -14.4% |
| 1973 | 869,900 | +11.1% |
| 1974 | 1.36 million | +56.1% |
| 1975 | 1.75 million | +28.7% |
| 1976 | 1.30 million | -25.9% |
| 1977 | 1.46 million | +12.5% |
| 1978 | 1.47 million | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 1.46 million | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 1.67 million | +14.2% |
| 1981 | 1.19 million | -28.9% |
| 1982 | 1.24 million | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 1.26 million | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 1.40 million | +10.8% |
| 1985 | 1.52 million | +8.7% |
| 1986 | 1.70 million | +11.7% |
| 1987 | 1.59 million | -6.4% |
| 1988 | 1.45 million | -8.4% |
| 1989 | 1.37 million | -5.8% |
| 1990 | 1.58 million | +15.3% |
| 1991 | 1.71 million | +8.5% |
| 1992 | 1.72 million | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 1.60 million | -6.8% |
| 1994 | 1.44 million | -10.2% |
| 1995 | 1.51 million | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 1.65 million | +9.0% |
| 1997 | 1.80 million | +9.1% |
| 1998 | 1.92 million | +6.8% |
| 1999 | 2.13 million | +11.0% |
| 2000 | 1.89 million | -11.6% |
| 2001 | 1.89 million | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 1.78 million | -5.9% |
| 2003 | 1.86 million | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 1.81 million | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 1.69 million | -7.1% |
| 2006 | 1.77 million | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 1.77 million | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 1.66 million | -6.0% |
| 2009 | 1.60 million | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 1.72 million | +7.3% |
| 2011 | 1.64 million | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 1.48 million | -9.7% |
| 2013 | 1.59 million | +7.1% |
| 2014 | 1.75 million | +10.1% |
| 2015 | 1.66 million | -4.8% |
| 2016 | 1.74 million | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 1.85 million | +6.2% |
| 2018 | 1.90 million | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 1.85 million | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 1.88 million | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 1.79 million | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 1.91 million | +6.7% |
| 2023 | 1.87 million | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 1.91 million | +1.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.91 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 161,025, 11.8× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.91 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 433,650, 4.4× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 669,022 | 488,500 | 952,000 | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.23 million | 782,900 | 1.75 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.44 million | 1.19 million | 1.70 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.71 million | 1.44 million | 2.13 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.77 million | 1.60 million | 1.89 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.72 million | 1.48 million | 1.90 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.87 million | 1.79 million | 1.91 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More agriculture & rural data for Ireland
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.388 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.0796 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.7634 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 22.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0106 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,391 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.9559 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is animals slaughtered for meat in Ireland?
- Animals slaughtered for meat in Ireland was 1.91 million in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest animals slaughtered for meat recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.13 million in 1999.
- What is the lowest animals slaughtered for meat recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 488,500 in 1964.
- How does Ireland rank for animals slaughtered for meat?
- Ireland ranks 35th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is animals slaughtered for meat rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Animals slaughtered for meat. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).