Yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat in Kenya
Kenya: Yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat was 2.24 million animals in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
2.24 million animals
Change on year
up 17.9%
World rank
32nd
of 198 countries
All-time high
3.08 million animals
in 2019
All-time low
700,000 animals
in 1963
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat in Kenya, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in animals.
Analysis
The most recent figure for yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat in Kenya is 2.24 million animals, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.9% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat in Kenya peaked at 3.08 million animals in 2019 and was at its lowest, 700,000 animals, in 1963.
That places Kenya 32nd out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat in Kenya, year by year
| Year | animals | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 850,000 animals | — |
| 1962 | 800,000 animals | -5.9% |
| 1963 | 700,000 animals | -12.5% |
| 1964 | 750,000 animals | +7.1% |
| 1965 | 800,000 animals | +6.7% |
| 1966 | 721,007 animals | -9.9% |
| 1967 | 781,690 animals | +8.4% |
| 1968 | 796,053 animals | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 848,276 animals | +6.6% |
| 1970 | 950,000 animals | +12.0% |
| 1971 | 937,931 animals | -1.3% |
| 1972 | 952,703 animals | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 1.01 million animals | +6.4% |
| 1974 | 1.15 million animals | +13.5% |
| 1975 | 980,000 animals | -14.8% |
| 1976 | 1.03 million animals | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 1.35 million animals | +30.4% |
| 1978 | 1.43 million animals | +6.1% |
| 1979 | 1.48 million animals | +3.3% |
| 1980 | 1.54 million animals | +4.1% |
| 1981 | 1.27 million animals | -17.3% |
| 1982 | 1.43 million animals | +12.2% |
| 1983 | 1.64 million animals | +14.7% |
| 1984 | 1.65 million animals | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1.60 million animals | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 1.62 million animals | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 1.68 million animals | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 1.74 million animals | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 1.79 million animals | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 1.88 million animals | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 1.85 million animals | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 1.77 million animals | -4.3% |
| 1993 | 1.77 million animals | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.90 million animals | +7.3% |
| 1995 | 2.00 million animals | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 1.95 million animals | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 2.00 million animals | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 2.45 million animals | +22.5% |
| 1999 | 2.54 million animals | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 2.87 million animals | +13.2% |
| 2001 | 1.95 million animals | -32.0% |
| 2002 | 1.85 million animals | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 1.67 million animals | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 1.64 million animals | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.79 million animals | +8.8% |
| 2006 | 1.91 million animals | +7.0% |
| 2007 | 1.72 million animals | -10.0% |
| 2008 | 1.89 million animals | +10.0% |
| 2009 | 2.06 million animals | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 1.92 million animals | -6.5% |
| 2011 | 2.10 million animals | +9.4% |
| 2012 | 2.19 million animals | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 2.15 million animals | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 2.08 million animals | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 2.27 million animals | +9.5% |
| 2016 | 2.46 million animals | +8.2% |
| 2017 | 2.59 million animals | +5.3% |
| 2018 | 2.78 million animals | +7.4% |
| 2019 | 3.08 million animals | +10.8% |
| 2020 | 1.95 million animals | -36.6% |
| 2021 | 2.00 million animals | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 1.78 million animals | -11.1% |
| 2023 | 1.90 million animals | +6.7% |
| 2024 | 2.24 million animals | +17.9% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 2.24 million animals is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 424,850 animals, 5.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 2.24 million animals is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 250,645 animals, 9.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 783,003 animals | 700,000 animals | 850,000 animals | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.13 million animals | 937,931 animals | 1.48 million animals | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.60 million animals | 1.27 million animals | 1.79 million animals | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.01 million animals | 1.77 million animals | 2.54 million animals | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.94 million animals | 1.64 million animals | 2.87 million animals | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.36 million animals | 1.92 million animals | 3.08 million animals | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.98 million animals | 1.78 million animals | 2.24 million animals | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6779 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 12.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat in Kenya?
- Yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat in Kenya was 2.24 million animals in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 3.08 million animals in 2019.
- What is the lowest yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 700,000 animals in 1963.
- How does Kenya rank for yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat?
- Kenya ranks 32nd out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Yearly number of animals slaughtered for meat. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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