Land animals slaughtered for meat in India
India: Land animals slaughtered for meat was 3.35 billion in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
3.35 billion
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
5th
of 199 countries
All-time high
3.35 billion
in 2024
All-time low
76.67 million
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Land animals slaughtered for meat in India, 1961–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
India recorded 3.35 billion for land animals slaughtered for meat in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 41.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land animals slaughtered for meat in India peaked at 3.35 billion in 2024 and was at its lowest, 76.67 million, in 1961.
That places India 5th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Land animals slaughtered for meat in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 76.67 million | — |
| 1962 | 76.67 million | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 76.67 million | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 77.78 million | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 78.89 million | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 80.00 million | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 82.22 million | +2.8% |
| 1968 | 84.44 million | +2.7% |
| 1969 | 87.78 million | +3.9% |
| 1970 | 90.00 million | +2.5% |
| 1971 | 92.22 million | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 93.33 million | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 94.44 million | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 95.55 million | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 97.80 million | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 100.00 million | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 100.00 million | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 103.50 million | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 112.00 million | +8.2% |
| 1980 | 125.60 million | +12.1% |
| 1981 | 133.50 million | +6.3% |
| 1982 | 144.50 million | +8.2% |
| 1983 | 152.00 million | +5.2% |
| 1984 | 166.70 million | +9.7% |
| 1985 | 179.00 million | +7.4% |
| 1986 | 200.00 million | +11.7% |
| 1987 | 307.50 million | +53.8% |
| 1988 | 314.00 million | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 350.00 million | +11.5% |
| 1990 | 402.00 million | +14.9% |
| 1991 | 548.00 million | +36.3% |
| 1992 | 568.00 million | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 641.00 million | +12.9% |
| 1994 | 657.00 million | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 673.00 million | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 690.00 million | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 694.00 million | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 735.00 million | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 778.00 million | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 860.00 million | +10.5% |
| 2001 | 911.00 million | +5.9% |
| 2002 | 964.00 million | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 1.05 billion | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 1.13 billion | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 1.22 billion | +7.8% |
| 2006 | 1.32 billion | +8.0% |
| 2007 | 1.47 billion | +11.7% |
| 2008 | 1.60 billion | +8.5% |
| 2009 | 1.74 billion | +8.8% |
| 2010 | 1.82 billion | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 1.86 billion | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 2.16 billion | +16.2% |
| 2013 | 2.02 billion | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 2.37 billion | +17.5% |
| 2015 | 2.39 billion | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 2.43 billion | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 2.50 billion | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 2.60 billion | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 2.72 billion | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 2.85 billion | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 2.97 billion | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 3.07 billion | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 3.32 billion | +8.2% |
| 2024 | 3.35 billion | +1.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 3.35 billion is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.45 million, 58.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 3.35 billion is above the median for South Asia, which is 235.10 million, 14.3× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land animals slaughtered for meat in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +53.8% | 200.00 million | 307.50 million |
| 1991 | +36.3% | 402.00 million | 548.00 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80.12 million | 76.67 million | 87.78 million | 9 |
| 1970s | 97.88 million | 90.00 million | 112.00 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 207.28 million | 125.60 million | 350.00 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 638.60 million | 402.00 million | 778.00 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.23 billion | 860.00 million | 1.74 billion | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.29 billion | 1.82 billion | 2.72 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.11 billion | 2.85 billion | 3.35 billion | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More agriculture & rural data for India
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.124 % 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 0.1139 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.0953 % 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 0.121 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -2.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.73 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4067 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land animals slaughtered for meat in India?
- Land animals slaughtered for meat in India was 3.35 billion in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land animals slaughtered for meat recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 3.35 billion in 2024.
- What is the lowest land animals slaughtered for meat recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.67 million in 1961.
- How does India rank for land animals slaughtered for meat?
- India ranks 5th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is land animals slaughtered for meat rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Land 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).