Data / Number of cattle / New Zealand

Number of cattle in New Zealand

Number of cattle in New Zealand was 9,516,288 head in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That is down 0.2% from 2023. That is the 35th highest of 190 countries in 2024.

2024, head9,516,288
Change on 2023-0.2%
Rank35th of 190Countries ranked
Series high10,368,1882014
Series low6,445,7891961

Next release: Thursday, 31 December 2026, estimated by Invokely from past publication dates (low confidence), not announced by the publisher. Release calendar

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Number of cattle in New Zealand, 1961 to 2024

6M7M8M9M10M11M19611971198119912001201120241961: 6,445,789 head1962: 6,597,913 head1963: 6,690,964 head1964: 6,696,205 head1965: 6,801,333 head1966: 7,217,720 head1967: 7,746,866 head1968: 8,247,163 head1969: 8,604,874 head1970: 8,777,332 head1971: 7,994,100 head1972: 8,631,413 head1973: 8,924,171 head1974: 9,311,364 head1975: 9,292,321 head1976: 9,017,094 head1977: 8,737,641 head1978: 8,418,011 head1979: 8,022,405 head1980: 8,131,214 head1981: 8,035,468 head1982: 7,912,303 head1983: 7,630,482 head1984: 7,776,600 head1985: 7,921,150 head1986: 8,279,122 head1987: 7,998,958 head1988: 8,057,898 head1989: 7,828,433 head1990: 8,033,976 head1991: 8,099,996 head1992: 8,144,321 head1993: 8,308,000 head1994: 8,887,000 head1995: 9,272,325 head1996: 9,017,277 head1997: 9,145,000 head1998: 8,873,000 head1999: 8,960,114 head2000: 9,015,000 head2001: 9,281,000 head2002: 9,652,870 head2003: 9,728,220 head2004: 9,599,892 head2005: 9,510,802 head2006: 9,608,693 head2007: 9,654,467 head2008: 9,715,312 head2009: 9,961,494 head2010: 9,863,972 head2011: 10,020,917 head2012: 10,180,093 head2013: 10,182,122 head2014: 10,368,188 head2015: 10,032,763 head2016: 10,151,854 head2017: 10,145,902 head2018: 10,106,803 head2019: 10,150,891 head2020: 10,082,788 head2021: 10,150,246 head2022: 9,751,189 head2023: 9,538,661 head2024: 9,516,288 head
head. Source: FAOSTAT, Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111). Retrieved 2026-10-12, published 2025-12-31.
All 64 values
Periodhead
20249,516,288
20239,538,661
20229,751,189
202110,150,246
202010,082,788
201910,150,891
201810,106,803
201710,145,902
201610,151,854
201510,032,763
201410,368,188
201310,182,122
201210,180,093
201110,020,917
20109,863,972
20099,961,494
20089,715,312
20079,654,467
20069,608,693
20059,510,802
20049,599,892
20039,728,220
20029,652,870
20019,281,000
20009,015,000
19998,960,114
19988,873,000
19979,145,000
19969,017,277
19959,272,325
19948,887,000
19938,308,000
19928,144,321
19918,099,996
19908,033,976
19897,828,433
19888,057,898
19877,998,958
19868,279,122
19857,921,150
19847,776,600
19837,630,482
19827,912,303
19818,035,468
19808,131,214
19798,022,405
19788,418,011
19778,737,641
19769,017,094
19759,292,321
19749,311,364
19738,924,171
19728,631,413
19717,994,100
19708,777,332
19698,604,874
19688,247,163
19677,746,866
19667,217,720
19656,801,333
19646,696,205
19636,690,964
19626,597,913
19616,445,789

Rankings

Definition

Number of cattle (domestic cattle, not buffaloes) present in the country, as published in FAOSTAT's crops and livestock products domain. FAO asks for the count on one day of the year, usually the census or survey date, so the reference day differs between countries.

FAO fills gaps in national reporting with its own estimates and imputations, which are marked as estimated, and revises past years when countries send new figures.

How to cite

FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111). Accessed on 2026-10-12. https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip Licence: CC-BY-4.0. FAO does not endorse Invokely or this use of the data.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025). Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111) (Number of cattle, New Zealand, 1961 to 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip

MLA 9

Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111), Number of cattle, New Zealand, 1961 to 2024. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 31 Dec. 2025, https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/cattle-population/new-zealand. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2025. Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111). Number of cattle, New Zealand, 1961 to 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/cattle-population/new-zealand.

Harvard

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111), Number of cattle, New Zealand, 1961 to 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/cattle-population/new-zealand (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{food_number_of_cattle_new_2024,
  author = {{Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}},
  title = {{Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111): Number of cattle, New Zealand, 1961 to 2024}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/cattle-population/new-zealand. Publisher attribution: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111). Accessed on 2026-10-12. https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production\_Crops\_Livestock\_E\_All\_Data\_\%28Normalized\%29.zip Licence: CC-BY-4.0. FAO does not endorse Invokely or this use of the data.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
TI  - Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111): Number of cattle, New Zealand, 1961 to 2024
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/31
PB  - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/cattle-population/new-zealand
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/cattle-population/new-zealand.
N1  - Publisher attribution: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111). Accessed on 2026-10-12. https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip Licence: CC-BY-4.0. FAO does not endorse Invokely or this use of the data.
ER  -
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Questions

What is the number of cattle in New Zealand?

Number of cattle in New Zealand was 9,516,288 head in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That is down 0.2% from 2023. That is the 35th highest of 190 countries in 2024.

Where does this figure come from?

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Cattle, stocks, head (item 866, element 5111). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.

What was the highest number of cattle in New Zealand?

10,368,188 head in 2014, the highest value since 1961 in this series.

Number of cattle in other countries

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