Number of cattle in Uruguay
Uruguay: Number of cattle was 11.96 million animals in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
11.96 million animals
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
30th
of 197 countries
All-time high
12.66 million animals
in 2008
All-time low
8.14 million animals
in 1965
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Number of cattle in Uruguay, 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 Uruguay is 11.96 million animals, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of cattle in Uruguay peaked at 12.66 million animals in 2008 and was at its lowest, 8.14 million animals, in 1965.
Uruguay ranks 30th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Number of cattle in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | animals | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.79 million animals | — |
| 1962 | 8.84 million animals | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 8.68 million animals | -1.7% |
| 1964 | 8.70 million animals | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 8.14 million animals | -6.4% |
| 1966 | 8.19 million animals | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 8.57 million animals | +4.7% |
| 1968 | 8.62 million animals | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 8.90 million animals | +3.2% |
| 1970 | 8.56 million animals | -3.8% |
| 1971 | 8.73 million animals | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 9.27 million animals | +6.3% |
| 1973 | 9.86 million animals | +6.3% |
| 1974 | 10.67 million animals | +8.2% |
| 1975 | 11.53 million animals | +8.0% |
| 1976 | 10.38 million animals | -9.9% |
| 1977 | 10.11 million animals | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 10.00 million animals | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 10.30 million animals | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 11.17 million animals | +8.5% |
| 1981 | 11.42 million animals | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 11.24 million animals | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 9.70 million animals | -13.6% |
| 1984 | 9.06 million animals | -6.6% |
| 1985 | 9.37 million animals | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 9.30 million animals | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 9.95 million animals | +6.9% |
| 1988 | 10.33 million animals | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 9.45 million animals | -8.6% |
| 1990 | 8.69 million animals | -8.0% |
| 1991 | 9.00 million animals | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 9.67 million animals | +7.4% |
| 1993 | 10.22 million animals | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 10.51 million animals | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 10.45 million animals | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 10.65 million animals | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 10.55 million animals | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 10.30 million animals | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 10.39 million animals | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 10.35 million animals | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 10.60 million animals | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 11.27 million animals | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 11.71 million animals | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 11.96 million animals | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 11.96 million animals | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 12.44 million animals | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 12.37 million animals | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 12.66 million animals | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 12.49 million animals | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 11.80 million animals | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 11.81 million animals | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 11.41 million animals | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 11.54 million animals | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 11.83 million animals | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 11.91 million animals | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 11.99 million animals | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 11.74 million animals | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 11.47 million animals | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 11.41 million animals | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 11.18 million animals | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 11.91 million animals | +6.5% |
| 2022 | 11.57 million animals | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 11.88 million animals | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 11.96 million animals | +0.7% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 11.96 million animals is above the median for high income countries, which is 595,200 animals, 20.1× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 11.96 million animals is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.55 million animals, 7.7× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.60 million animals | 8.14 million animals | 8.90 million animals | 9 |
| 1970s | 9.94 million animals | 8.56 million animals | 11.53 million animals | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.10 million animals | 9.06 million animals | 11.42 million animals | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.04 million animals | 8.69 million animals | 10.65 million animals | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.78 million animals | 10.35 million animals | 12.66 million animals | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.69 million animals | 11.41 million animals | 11.99 million animals | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.70 million animals | 11.18 million animals | 11.96 million animals | 5 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More agriculture & rural data for Uruguay
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0638 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,609 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.32 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0435 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 14.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of cattle in Uruguay?
- Number of cattle in Uruguay was 11.96 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 12.66 million animals in 2008.
- What is the lowest number of cattle recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.14 million animals in 1965.
- How does Uruguay rank for number of cattle?
- Uruguay ranks 30th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of cattle rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uruguay 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.
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