Number of cattle in Canada
Canada: Number of cattle was 10.98 million animals in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
10.98 million animals
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
32nd
of 197 countries
All-time high
14.93 million animals
in 2005
All-time low
10.67 million animals
in 1987
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Number of cattle in Canada, 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 number of cattle in Canada is 10.98 million animals, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of cattle in Canada peaked at 14.93 million animals in 2005 and was at its lowest, 10.67 million animals, in 1987.
Canada ranks 32nd of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Number of cattle in Canada, year by year
| Year | animals | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10.70 million animals | — |
| 1962 | 10.93 million animals | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 11.22 million animals | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 11.68 million animals | +4.1% |
| 1965 | 12.13 million animals | +3.9% |
| 1966 | 11.90 million animals | -1.9% |
| 1967 | 11.72 million animals | -1.5% |
| 1968 | 11.68 million animals | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 11.40 million animals | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 11.63 million animals | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 11.98 million animals | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 12.32 million animals | +2.8% |
| 1973 | 12.85 million animals | +4.2% |
| 1974 | 13.48 million animals | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 14.28 million animals | +5.9% |
| 1976 | 14.05 million animals | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 13.36 million animals | -4.9% |
| 1978 | 12.53 million animals | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 12.00 million animals | -4.2% |
| 1980 | 12.13 million animals | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 12.17 million animals | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 12.16 million animals | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 11.86 million animals | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 11.63 million animals | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 11.33 million animals | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 10.96 million animals | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 10.67 million animals | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 10.76 million animals | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 10.98 million animals | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 11.22 million animals | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 11.29 million animals | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 11.87 million animals | +5.1% |
| 1993 | 11.86 million animals | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 12.01 million animals | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 12.71 million animals | +5.8% |
| 1996 | 13.40 million animals | +5.5% |
| 1997 | 13.41 million animals | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 13.36 million animals | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 13.21 million animals | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 13.20 million animals | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 13.61 million animals | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 13.75 million animals | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 13.47 million animals | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 14.55 million animals | +8.1% |
| 2005 | 14.93 million animals | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 14.65 million animals | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 14.13 million animals | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 13.76 million animals | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 13.03 million animals | -5.3% |
| 2010 | 12.67 million animals | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 12.15 million animals | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 12.23 million animals | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 12.24 million animals | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 12.05 million animals | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 11.64 million animals | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 11.61 million animals | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 11.51 million animals | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 11.67 million animals | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 11.67 million animals | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 11.54 million animals | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 11.52 million animals | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 11.52 million animals | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 11.24 million animals | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 10.98 million animals | -2.3% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 10.98 million animals is above the median for high income countries, which is 595,200 animals, 18.5× the median. (63 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 11.48 million animals | 10.70 million animals | 12.13 million animals | 9 |
| 1970s | 12.85 million animals | 11.63 million animals | 14.28 million animals | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.46 million animals | 10.67 million animals | 12.17 million animals | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.43 million animals | 11.22 million animals | 13.41 million animals | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.91 million animals | 13.03 million animals | 14.93 million animals | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.94 million animals | 11.51 million animals | 12.67 million animals | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.36 million animals | 10.98 million animals | 11.54 million animals | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More agriculture & rural data for Canada
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 31.61 % change on previous year (2022)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,092 current US$ per person (2022)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.0803 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1712 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.9% (2022)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.9% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of cattle in Canada?
- Number of cattle in Canada was 10.98 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 number of cattle recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 14.93 million animals in 2005.
- What is the lowest number of cattle recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.67 million animals in 1987.
- How does Canada rank for number of cattle?
- Canada ranks 32nd out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of cattle rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Canada 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 Number of cattle. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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