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FAO · Livestock Density
Livestock density by country
How much livestock does each hectare of farmland carry?
Of the 188 countries compared in 2023, Singapore had the highest reading, 43.97, and Republic of the Congo had the lowest reading, 0.02. In the middle country the figure was 0.54. Among the 158 countries measured in every edition since 1961, the middle one moved from 0.34 to 0.58.
Livestock density · 2023
Context statistic
Highest of 188Singapore
43.97012023 · position · derived
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 188 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Lowest in 2023
- 188
Republic of the Congo0.02 - 187
Botswana0.03 - =185
Saudi Arabia0.04
Positions out of 188. This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
Highest on each continent
02Every measured country
Livestock density on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- 0.02–0.24
- 0.25–0.42
- 0.43–0.67
- 0.68–1.29
- 1.33–43.97
- No reading in 2023
- Oceania
0.86
the middle country, of 12 measured · 21 members
Micronesia4.21
Australia0.10Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Americas
0.78
the middle country, of 35 measured · 48 members
Trinidad and Tobago8.22
Canada0.30Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Asia
0.65
the middle country, of 48 measured · 52 members
Singapore43.972 share 0.04
Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Europe
0.51
the middle country, of 39 measured · 49 members
Netherlands3.92
Iceland0.09Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Africa
0.30
the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members
Seychelles3.24Republic of the Congo0.02Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Eastern Asia
1.96
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Hong Kong18.42
Mongolia0.12Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Western Europe
1.29
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Netherlands3.92
France0.74Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Caribbean
1.08
the middle country, of 13 measured · 24 members
Trinidad and Tobago8.22
Dominica0.53Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- South-eastern Asia
1.01
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Singapore43.97
Thailand0.38Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Asia
0.76
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
Pakistan2.34
Afghanistan0.18Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Central America
0.74
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Costa Rica1.19
Mexico0.46Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- South America
0.62
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Suriname1.16
Bolivia0.32Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Western Asia
0.62
the middle country, of 17 measured · 19 members
Qatar7.45Saudi Arabia0.04Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Northern Europe
0.53
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Denmark1.66Iceland0.09Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Africa
0.47
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Seychelles3.24
Mozambique0.05Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Southern Europe
0.45
the middle country, of 12 measured · 17 members
Malta2.14
North Macedonia0.18Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Western Africa
0.37
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Cabo Verde0.74
Mauritania0.10Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Eastern Europe
0.30
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Poland0.57
Ukraine0.11Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Northern Africa
0.26
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Egypt1.71
Libya0.11Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Central Asia
0.21
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Tajikistan0.61
Kazakhstan0.04Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Southern Africa
0.14
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Eswatini0.29Botswana0.03Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Middle Africa
0.13
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Chad0.76Republic of the Congo0.02Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand1.17Australia0.10Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Fiji0.66
Solomon Islands0.21Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru.
Micronesia4.21
Kiribati0.28Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
United States0.31Canada0.30Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu.
Tuvalu1.96
Tonga1.05Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
188 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 0.54; a quarter are above 1.05, and a quarter below 0.30. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
Log scale: each gridline is ten times the one before, so countries of very different sizes can be seen on one line.
04All 188 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. Neither end is the good end. Dense livestock farming uses little land and is hard on water, soil and the climate; sparse farming is the opposite, or simply a country that keeps few animals. Read it beside agricultural emissions, which livestock largely drives.
Showing 25 of 188 countries
Values for 2023. The change column compares 2023 with 2022 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051961–2023 · 63 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 1961, which makes this one of the longest series on the site.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 158 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 188 | 0.54 | 0.30 – 1.05 | 0.58 |
| 2022 | 188 | 0.55 | 0.30 – 1.04 | 0.58 |
| 2021 | 188 | 0.55 | 0.28 – 1.04 | 0.59 |
| 2020 | 188 | 0.53 | 0.30 – 1.04 | 0.57 |
| 2019 | 188 | 0.54 | 0.30 – 1.03 | 0.59 |
| 2018 | 188 | 0.54 | 0.28 – 1.03 | 0.58 |
| 2017 | 188 | 0.52 | 0.28 – 1.05 | 0.57 |
| 2016 | 188 | 0.52 | 0.27 – 1.02 | 0.58 |
| 2015 | 188 | 0.52 | 0.28 – 1.01 | 0.58 |
| 2014 | 188 | 0.52 | 0.27 – 1.03 | 0.57 |
| 2013 | 188 | 0.51 | 0.27 – 1.03 | 0.58 |
| 2012 | 188 | 0.51 | 0.27 – 1.01 | 0.59 |
| 2011 | 186 | 0.51 | 0.27 – 1.05 | 0.59 |
| 2010 | 186 | 0.52 | 0.27 – 1.03 | 0.58 |
| 2009 | 186 | 0.54 | 0.25 – 1.01 | 0.57 |
| 2008 | 186 | 0.53 | 0.24 – 1.04 | 0.56 |
| 2007 | 186 | 0.51 | 0.25 – 1.03 | 0.58 |
| 2006 | 186 | 0.49 | 0.24 – 1.02 | 0.55 |
| 2005 | 184 | 0.48 | 0.24 – 1.04 | 0.54 |
| 2004 | 184 | 0.47 | 0.24 – 0.99 | 0.54 |
| 2003 | 184 | 0.47 | 0.24 – 0.99 | 0.54 |
| 2002 | 184 | 0.45 | 0.23 – 0.98 | 0.51 |
| 2001 | 184 | 0.44 | 0.23 – 0.97 | 0.49 |
| 2000 | 184 | 0.42 | 0.24 – 0.96 | 0.47 |
| 1999 | 182 | 0.42 | 0.24 – 0.93 | 0.48 |
| 1998 | 182 | 0.41 | 0.23 – 0.92 | 0.48 |
| 1997 | 182 | 0.42 | 0.22 – 0.92 | 0.49 |
| 1996 | 182 | 0.43 | 0.22 – 0.91 | 0.51 |
| 1995 | 182 | 0.43 | 0.22 – 0.90 | 0.51 |
| 1994 | 182 | 0.46 | 0.22 – 0.87 | 0.52 |
| 1993 | 182 | 0.46 | 0.23 – 0.85 | 0.51 |
| 1992 | 178 | 0.51 | 0.24 – 0.85 | 0.51 |
| 1991 | 159 | 0.48 | 0.22 – 0.90 | 0.48 |
| 1990 | 158 | 0.52 | 0.22 – 0.87 | 0.52 |
| 1989 | 158 | 0.50 | 0.23 – 0.88 | 0.50 |
| 1988 | 158 | 0.49 | 0.23 – 0.89 | 0.49 |
| 1987 | 158 | 0.48 | 0.22 – 0.87 | 0.48 |
| 1986 | 158 | 0.48 | 0.21 – 0.83 | 0.48 |
| 1985 | 158 | 0.47 | 0.20 – 0.87 | 0.47 |
| 1984 | 158 | 0.46 | 0.20 – 0.82 | 0.46 |
| 1983 | 158 | 0.46 | 0.19 – 0.78 | 0.46 |
| 1982 | 158 | 0.46 | 0.20 – 0.80 | 0.46 |
| 1981 | 158 | 0.44 | 0.20 – 0.77 | 0.44 |
| 1980 | 158 | 0.43 | 0.20 – 0.77 | 0.43 |
| 1979 | 158 | 0.43 | 0.19 – 0.73 | 0.43 |
| 1978 | 158 | 0.44 | 0.20 – 0.74 | 0.44 |
| 1977 | 158 | 0.43 | 0.19 – 0.73 | 0.43 |
| 1976 | 158 | 0.43 | 0.18 – 0.71 | 0.43 |
| 1975 | 158 | 0.41 | 0.18 – 0.69 | 0.41 |
| 1974 | 158 | 0.40 | 0.17 – 0.68 | 0.40 |
| 1973 | 158 | 0.39 | 0.17 – 0.70 | 0.39 |
| 1972 | 158 | 0.38 | 0.18 – 0.69 | 0.38 |
| 1971 | 158 | 0.37 | 0.17 – 0.65 | 0.37 |
| 1970 | 158 | 0.37 | 0.17 – 0.65 | 0.37 |
| 1969 | 158 | 0.36 | 0.17 – 0.65 | 0.36 |
| 1968 | 158 | 0.35 | 0.17 – 0.63 | 0.35 |
| 1967 | 158 | 0.35 | 0.16 – 0.62 | 0.35 |
| 1966 | 158 | 0.36 | 0.16 – 0.62 | 0.36 |
| 1965 | 158 | 0.35 | 0.15 – 0.61 | 0.35 |
| 1964 | 158 | 0.35 | 0.15 – 0.60 | 0.35 |
| 1963 | 158 | 0.34 | 0.14 – 0.61 | 0.34 |
| 1962 | 158 | 0.34 | 0.14 – 0.61 | 0.34 |
| 1961 | 158 | 0.34 | 0.14 – 0.61 | 0.34 |
062022 → 2023
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → after- Singapore38.17 → 43.97 · 1st → 1st+5.80
- Hong Kong17.95 → 18.42 · 2nd → 2nd+0.47
- Malta1.89 → 2.14 · 23rd → 18th+0.25
- Costa Rica1.02 → 1.19 · 49th → 39th+0.17
- Qatar7.34 → 7.45 · 5th → 5th+0.11
188 countries were measured in both 2022 and 2023.
07Across every edition
Livestock density in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
56.91
Livestock units per hectare of agricultural land
Lowest reading on record
Reached 16 times by 2 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.00
Livestock units per hectare of agricultural land
FAO · 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Biggest rise between editions
+20.90
34.51 → 55.41
Biggest fall between editions
−31.23
48.15 → 16.92
Biggest change since first measured
+25.97
18.00 → 43.97
Highest most often
63 of 63
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About livestock density
This is how much livestock a country carries per hectare of farmland, counted in FAO's livestock units — a standard that weighs each species by how much it eats, so cattle, sheep and poultry can be added together honestly.
What the number is: Livestock units per hectare of agricultural land.
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Economy & Innovation and Environment & Sustainability, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Economy & InnovationEnvironment & SustainabilityWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where livestock density is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Agricultural Irrigated LandFAO · 96 countries in commonρ 0.50
- Pesticide Use per HectareFAO · 178 countries in commonρ 0.47
- Fertilizer Consumption per HectareFAO · 182 countries in commonρ 0.43
Moves against
Where livestock density is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Arable Land per PersonFAO · 185 countries in commonρ −0.51
- Land AreaFAO · 187 countries in commonρ −0.43
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 126 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The countries at either end
11Questions
Livestock density: questions and answers
Which country has the highest livestock density?
Singapore, at 43.97, among the 188 countries compared in 2023.
Which country has the lowest livestock density?
Republic of the Congo, at 0.02, among the 188 countries compared in 2023.
How many countries does the Livestock Density cover?
188 in 2023. The number measured varies from 158 to 188 between editions.
What is the world average livestock density?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 188 compared in 2023, the figure was 0.54.
Is this Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s own ranking?
No. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Livestock Density published?
This site holds 63 reference years, 1961–2023, all recalculated in Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s 2026 report on one method — not 63 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under CC BY 4.0. FAOSTAT's Livestock Patterns domain. The all-species total is FAO's own published figure, not a sum computed here. Every edition is available on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Livestock Density — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
FAOSTAT's Livestock Patterns domain. The all-species total is FAO's own published figure, not a sum computed here.
Newest edition
Report year 2023Data year 2023
Cite the source as: FAO. FAOSTAT. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-11.
How this page reads the numbers
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The full note on this data
63 reference years (1961–2023), covering 158 to 188 countries, from FAOSTAT's Livestock Patterns domain, with the absolute total stored beside it. ⚠ THE SHEET ROW ASKS FOR "HEAD COUNTS OF CATTLE, SHEEP, POULTRY AND THE REST", AND THAT IS NOT A NUMBER THAT CAN BE PUBLISHED: head counts by species cannot be added, because a chicken is not a cow. FAO's own answer is the LIVESTOCK UNIT, which weighs species by feed requirement, and "Major livestock types" is its own published all-species total — nothing here is aggregated by this site. Per hectare of agricultural land then makes a large country comparable with a small one. The row is therefore narrowed and renamed, the same call made for the UIS funding-per-student row. ⚠ NEITHER END IS BETTER: high density is intensive farming, efficient in land and hard on water, soil and emissions; low density is extensive grazing, or very little livestock at all. Read it beside agricultural emissions, which is largely what it drives. The FAO ranks nobody, so no rank is stored; the POSITION is derived here and labelled as ours.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Livestock density by country: Livestock Density, data from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/livestock-density