Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Producing Animals/Slaughtered (Meat) in Australia
Australia: Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Producing Animals/Slaughtered (Meat) was 38.17 million An in 2024. ▼ Falling
Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Producing Animals/Slaughtered in Australia, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in An.
Analysis
The most recent figure for meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — producing animals/slaughtered in Australia is 38.17 million An, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 10.1% on the previous year and up 18.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — producing animals/slaughtered in Australia peaked at 52.86 million An in 1972 and was at its lowest, 23.11 million An, in 2011.
That places Australia 7th out of 234 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Producing Animals/Slaughtered (Meat) in Australia, year by year
| Year | An | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 32.60 million An | — |
| 1962 | 33.29 million An | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 33.81 million An | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 33.35 million An | -1.4% |
| 1965 | 33.47 million An | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 34.56 million An | +3.3% |
| 1967 | 32.50 million An | -6.0% |
| 1968 | 38.01 million An | +17.0% |
| 1969 | 36.71 million An | -3.4% |
| 1970 | 42.21 million An | +15.0% |
| 1971 | 45.40 million An | +7.5% |
| 1972 | 52.86 million An | +16.4% |
| 1973 | 41.13 million An | -22.2% |
| 1974 | 25.26 million An | -38.6% |
| 1975 | 28.70 million An | +13.7% |
| 1976 | 32.84 million An | +14.4% |
| 1977 | 31.61 million An | -3.7% |
| 1978 | 29.11 million An | -7.9% |
| 1979 | 26.79 million An | -8.0% |
| 1980 | 30.45 million An | +13.6% |
| 1981 | 31.90 million An | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 28.20 million An | -11.6% |
| 1983 | 29.98 million An | +6.3% |
| 1984 | 25.48 million An | -15.0% |
| 1985 | 28.02 million An | +10.0% |
| 1986 | 32.06 million An | +14.4% |
| 1987 | 32.38 million An | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 32.14 million An | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 28.81 million An | -10.4% |
| 1990 | 32.88 million An | +14.1% |
| 1991 | 34.58 million An | +5.2% |
| 1992 | 34.54 million An | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 32.96 million An | -4.6% |
| 1994 | 32.87 million An | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 32.79 million An | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 28.80 million An | -12.2% |
| 1997 | 28.92 million An | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 30.98 million An | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 31.21 million An | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 33.14 million An | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 35.26 million An | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 31.84 million An | -9.7% |
| 2003 | 30.53 million An | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 26.98 million An | -11.6% |
| 2005 | 28.77 million An | +6.6% |
| 2006 | 30.50 million An | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 33.43 million An | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 31.42 million An | -6.0% |
| 2009 | 30.67 million An | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 25.66 million An | -16.3% |
| 2011 | 23.11 million An | -9.9% |
| 2012 | 24.79 million An | +7.3% |
| 2013 | 30.43 million An | +22.7% |
| 2014 | 32.19 million An | +5.8% |
| 2015 | 31.89 million An | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 31.26 million An | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 28.90 million An | -7.6% |
| 2018 | 32.25 million An | +11.6% |
| 2019 | 30.97 million An | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 26.56 million An | -14.2% |
| 2021 | 26.59 million An | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 28.14 million An | +5.8% |
| 2023 | 34.68 million An | +23.3% |
| 2024 | 38.17 million An | +10.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 38.17 million An is above the median for high income countries, which is 187,355 An, 203.7× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Australia's 38.17 million An is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11,185 An, 3412.9× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 34.26 million An | 32.50 million An | 38.01 million An | 9 |
| 1970s | 35.59 million An | 25.26 million An | 52.86 million An | 10 |
| 1980s | 29.94 million An | 25.48 million An | 32.38 million An | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.05 million An | 28.80 million An | 34.58 million An | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.25 million An | 26.98 million An | 35.26 million An | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.15 million An | 23.11 million An | 32.25 million An | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.83 million An | 26.56 million An | 38.17 million An | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.4449 % 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 1.16 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.2372 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 12.7 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0227 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,476 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5855 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — producing animals/slaughtered in Australia?
- Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — producing animals/slaughtered in Australia was 38.17 million An in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — producing animals/slaughtered recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 52.86 million An in 1972.
- What is the lowest meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — producing animals/slaughtered recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.11 million An in 2011.
- How does Australia rank for meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — producing animals/slaughtered?
- Australia ranks 7th out of 234 countries with data for 2024.
- Is meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — producing animals/slaughtered rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Producing Animals/Slaughtered. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
This dataset provides annual statistics on crop and livestock production across countries and territories. For crops, data are provided on area harvested, production quantities and yields. For livestock, data are provided on animal stocks, numbers of producing and slaughtered animals, and the production of meat, milk, eggs and other livestock products. The dataset also includes information on production quantities for selected processed products, such as vegetable oils, sugar, fibres, beer, wine and major dairy products.