Cattle livestock count heads in Iceland
Iceland: Cattle livestock count heads was 76,902 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
76,902
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
157th
of 197 countries
All-time high
81,385
in 2018
All-time low
52,274
in 1969
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Cattle livestock count heads in Iceland, 1961–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, cattle livestock count heads in Iceland stood at 76,902.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cattle livestock count heads in Iceland peaked at 81,385 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 52,274, in 1969.
That places Iceland 157th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Cattle livestock count heads in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 53,377 | — |
| 1962 | 55,744 | +4.4% |
| 1963 | 55,901 | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 57,211 | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 59,751 | +4.4% |
| 1966 | 59,542 | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 54,530 | -8.4% |
| 1968 | 52,289 | -4.1% |
| 1969 | 52,274 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 53,401 | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 53,294 | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 59,197 | +11.1% |
| 1973 | 65,280 | +10.3% |
| 1974 | 67,338 | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 66,530 | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 61,635 | -7.4% |
| 1977 | 60,783 | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 62,677 | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 62,789 | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 57,172 | -8.9% |
| 1981 | 59,933 | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 60,366 | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 68,540 | +13.5% |
| 1984 | 72,665 | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 72,889 | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 71,383 | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 69,029 | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 70,824 | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 72,789 | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 74,889 | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 77,681 | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 76,034 | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 73,912 | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 71,923 | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 73,199 | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 74,816 | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 74,791 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 75,500 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 74,534 | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 72,135 | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 70,168 | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 67,225 | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 66,035 | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 64,639 | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 65,979 | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 68,670 | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 70,660 | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 72,012 | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 73,498 | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 73,781 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 72,773 | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 71,513 | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 68,014 | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 74,444 | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 78,628 | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 79,923 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 80,895 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 81,385 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 80,872 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 80,643 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 80,563 | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 79,306 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 78,732 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 76,902 | -2.3% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 76,902 is below the median for high income countries, which is 595,200, 13% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 76,902 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.40 million, 6% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 55,624 | 52,274 | 59,751 | 9 |
| 1970s | 61,292 | 53,294 | 67,338 | 10 |
| 1980s | 67,559 | 57,172 | 72,889 | 10 |
| 1990s | 74,728 | 71,923 | 77,681 | 10 |
| 2000s | 69,102 | 64,639 | 73,498 | 10 |
| 2010s | 76,223 | 68,014 | 81,385 | 10 |
| 2020s | 79,229 | 76,902 | 80,643 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 154 Cyprus 82,680 compare
- 155 Fiji 80,720 compare
- 156 New Caledonia 77,281 compare
- 158 Guadeloupe 75,830 compare
- 159 Lebanon 75,538 compare
- 160 Montenegro 67,496 compare
More agriculture & rural data for Iceland
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % 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 0.3084 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % 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 4.77 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 19.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0365 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 3,593 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8983 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cattle livestock count heads in Iceland?
- Cattle livestock count heads in Iceland was 76,902 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cattle livestock count heads recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 81,385 in 2018.
- What is the lowest cattle livestock count heads recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 52,274 in 1969.
- How does Iceland rank for cattle livestock count heads?
- Iceland ranks 157th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cattle livestock count heads rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Cattle livestock count heads. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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