At the end of 2025, Poland’s cattle population fell to its lowest level since 2016. At the same time, the number of pigs increased after the decline recorded a year earlier, while the chicken population remained at a historically high level. The latest Statistics Poland report, “Livestock in 2025”, also shows that animal production is heavily concentrated in a small number of voivodeships. Wielkopolskie, Mazowieckie and Podlaskie dominate cattle farming, Wielkopolskie and Mazowieckie lead in pig production, while almost half of the country’s chicken population is located in Mazowieckie and Wielkopolskie.
Data: livestock population as of December 2025. Cattle, sheep and goat numbers — ARMA administrative register; pig and poultry numbers — Statistics Poland sample surveys and statistical reporting. Statistics Poland publication: July 2026.
Cattle: population at its lowest level since 2016
At the end of December 2025, Poland’s cattle population stood at 6,143.3 thousand head, down 0.8% from a year earlier. This total included 2,091.0 thousand cows, 0.5% fewer than in December 2024.
The decline was considerably more pronounced in the June data. In June 2025, the cow population amounted to 2,159.0 thousand head, compared with 2,335.6 thousand a year earlier, representing a decrease of 7.6%.
The large difference between the annual rates recorded in June and December may reflect changes taking place during the year, although the publication itself does not provide a detailed explanation. Long-term comparisons also require caution because, since 2022, Statistics Poland has used data from the ARMA administrative register for cattle. Earlier figures were based on statistical surveys, which limits the full comparability of the historical series.
Cattle, pig and chicken populations in Poland, December figures, 1990–2025 (thousand head). The scope and methods used to collect some of the data changed over time. Source: Statistics Poland.
Cattle farming remains strongly concentrated in several parts of the country. At the end of 2025, the three voivodeships of Wielkopolskie, Mazowieckie and Podlaskie accounted for approximately 54% of Poland’s total cattle population.
The largest herd was located in Wielkopolskie, where 1,231.1 thousand head of cattle were kept, representing approximately 20% of the national total. It was followed by Mazowieckie with 1,109.3 thousand head and Podlaskie with 1,003.3 thousand.
The largest absolute number of cows was recorded in Mazowieckie, at 419.9 thousand head. Podlaskie followed closely with approximately 410.0 thousand cows. Podlaskie remains one of Poland’s most important dairy production regions, although it did not have the highest proportion of cows in the overall cattle herd.
Cattle and pig populations by voivodeship, December 2025 (thousand head). Source: Statistics Poland.
Annual changes by voivodeship
The largest annual declines in the cattle population were recorded in Świętokrzyskie, where the number of cattle was equal to 94.5% of the previous year’s level, Małopolskie at 95.4%, and Podkarpackie at 95.9%.
At the opposite end of the ranking was Wielkopolskie, where the cattle population increased by 3.6% and the number of cows rose by 2.0%. The data show that Wielkopolskie continues to strengthen its position in Poland’s cattle farming sector.
Pigs: a rebound after the decline recorded in 2024
The pig population stood at 9,225.2 thousand head in December 2025, up 1.6% from a year earlier. This represented a recovery after the decline recorded in 2024, although the figure remained significantly below the levels seen at the beginning of the previous decade.
In June 2025, the pig population amounted to 9,123.5 thousand head, broadly unchanged from June 2024, when it stood at 9,132.0 thousand. In December, the total number of sows reached 618.2 thousand, including 427.9 thousand pregnant sows.
Pig farming in Poland is highly concentrated geographically. Wielkopolskie accounted for 2,297.9 thousand head, or almost one-quarter of the national pig population. It was followed by Mazowieckie with 1,613.3 thousand head and Łódzkie with 1,092.0 thousand.
Together, these three voivodeships accounted for more than 54% of Poland’s pig population. By comparison, Małopolskie and Podkarpackie together had fewer than 180 thousand pigs, representing less than 2% of the national herd.
Poultry: the strongest long-term growth
The most significant long-term change in the structure of Polish livestock farming can be seen in the poultry sector. In December 1990, Poland’s chicken population stood at approximately 52.0 million head. By December 2025, it had reached 247.5 million, nearly 4.8 times the earlier level.
Historical comparisons must, however, take into account changes in the scope of the statistics. In different periods, the age criteria for poultry included in the figures were modified. The long-term series therefore illustrates the general direction of the sector’s development, but it should not be treated as fully uniform in methodological terms.
The combined population of all poultry species included in the tables amounted to approximately 273.0 million head. In addition to 247.5 million chickens, this included 15.9 million turkeys and approximately 8.6 million ducks and other waterfowl.
The largest chicken population was recorded in Mazowieckie, at 70.1 million head, representing approximately 28% of the national total. Wielkopolskie ranked second with 50.9 million head, accounting for more than 20%.
Together, the two voivodeships accounted for approximately 49% of Poland’s chicken population. Turkey farming had a different geographical structure. Warmińsko-Mazurskie was the leading region, with approximately 5.0 million turkeys, or more than 31% of the national population. It was followed by Mazowieckie with approximately 2.4 million and Lubuskie with approximately 1.7 million.
Sheep and goats: small-scale production with strong regional concentration
The sheep population stood at 267.9 thousand head in December 2025, compared with 291.7 thousand in June. The difference between the June and December figures may be related, among other factors, to the seasonal nature of farming and animal turnover, although the Statistics Poland publication does not provide a direct explanation.
The largest sheep population was recorded in Małopolskie, at 62.3 thousand head, representing more than 23% of the national total. The region’s leading position is consistent with its pastoral traditions and the importance of sheep farming in mountainous and foothill areas.
Małopolskie was followed by Wielkopolskie with approximately 29.5 thousand head, Podlaskie with 22.4 thousand and Lubelskie with 18.5 thousand. Wielkopolskie therefore had the second-largest sheep population in Poland.
The goat population amounted to 64.3 thousand head. The largest herds were found in Wielkopolskie, with approximately 9.3 thousand, and Mazowieckie, with approximately 7.4 thousand head.
Slaughter: fewer cattle, more pigs
Data from slaughterhouses show contrasting trends in cattle and pig slaughter. In 2025, 2,029.8 thousand cattle were slaughtered, 4.5% fewer than in 2024, when the figure amounted to 2,126.4 thousand head.
The total live weight of slaughtered cattle fell from 1,261.7 thousand tonnes to 1,228.9 thousand tonnes. This figure should not be described as beef production because the Statistics Poland data refer to the live weight of the animals rather than the weight of meat obtained.
During the same period, pig slaughter increased to 20,749.1 thousand head, up approximately 4.1% year on year. The live weight of slaughtered pigs amounted to 2,611.7 thousand tonnes.
The slaughter of sheep also increased, reaching 90.3 thousand head. Rabbit slaughter rose to 1,240.8 thousand head, compared with 806.5 thousand a year earlier, representing an increase of approximately 54%.
Monthly slaughter of cattle and pigs in slaughterhouses in 2025 (head). Due to the difference in scale, the series are presented on two axes. Source: Statistics Poland.
Livestock populations in the leading voivodeships
| Voivodeship | Cattle (thousand head) |
Pigs (thousand head) |
Chickens (thousand head) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wielkopolskie | 1,231.1 | 2,297.9 | 50,941.0 |
| Mazowieckie | 1,109.3 | 1,613.3 | 70,099.9 |
| Podlaskie | 1,003.3 | 347.7 | 16,466.6 |
| Kujawsko-Pomorskie | 491.2 | 852.2 | 14,622.3 |
| Warmińsko-Mazurskie | 437.2 | 553.4 | 7,128.5 |
| Łódzkie | 408.8 | 1,092.0 | 18,993.0 |
| Lubelskie | 324.0 | 454.0 | 12,772.2 |
| Pomorskie | 225.1 | 825.9 | 8,261.4 |
Key conclusions for the agri-food sector
The 2025 data confirm the growing concentration of livestock farming in a small number of voivodeships. Wielkopolskie and Mazowieckie play a key role in cattle, pig and poultry farming, while Podlaskie retains a particularly strong position in the cattle sector, especially in cow farming.
Poultry remains the most expansive segment from a long-term perspective. The cattle and pig populations are significantly smaller than they were in the 1990s, although the pig population recorded a modest rebound in 2025.
This does not yet mean that the long-term trend has permanently reversed. Such a conclusion would require further data releases and an analysis of economic factors, including production profitability, feed prices, purchase prices, animal disease risks and foreign trade.
In the cattle sector, the data indicate a further reduction in herd size. However, these figures alone do not make it possible to determine the future supply of milk or the condition of dairy processors. Such an assessment would also require data on the number of dairy cows, milk yields, milk procurement and the structure of agricultural holdings.
Source: Statistics Poland, “Livestock in 2025”, Warsaw 2026. Own analysis based on the publication and the accompanying XLSX tables. Data on cattle, sheep and goats come from the ARMA administrative register, while data on pigs and poultry were compiled from sample surveys and statistical reporting.
